


The Whip's Bite: Episode One

by Pinky_GOOLI002



Series: The Bite Series [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Character Turned Into Vampire, F/F, F/M, Gore, Gross, M/M, Master/Slave, Multi, Other, Romance, Slavery, Steampunk, Torture, Vampire Bites, Vampire Family, Vampire Hunters, Vampire Sex, Vampire Turning, Vampires, Victorian, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:47:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23172691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pinky_GOOLI002/pseuds/Pinky_GOOLI002
Summary: In a world where vampires aren't only known, but are used as slaves, an aristocratic couple have to re-evaluate everything they know.
Series: The Bite Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665790
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue: The End of a Chase

**Prologue: The End of a Chase**

We ran. We ran as fast as we could, which was pretty fast, but when you are hungry as we were, it’s not as impressive. We were also exhausted.

“Please, John…. Please!” She cried as her hand tried to slip out of my own, and I had to grab her even harder. “Please can we just stop? Just for now… Please…” She kept begging. We had run for almost a whole day without stopping. We haven’t slept in about a months. We Haven’t ate in two weeks…

I could barley go on myself, so when her voice had reached the point of braking, it broke my concentration on survival, and I slowed to a halt.

We stood there for a second, panting, trying to catch out breath. An unfamiliar sensation.

“Fine,” I croaked at last through a dry throat, and slowly walked to a nearby bush, her hand still in mine. After three years of running, hiding in woods and forests, you get used to sleeping in trees and bushes.

But it wasn’t long until I was awakened by a loud noise of neighing horses. By the time I was conscious enough to sit up, a bullet had the time to be fired, and penetrate my stomach.

Teeth exposed, I rose up, trying to protect Elliot with my body, with my hands and teeth, with everything I had. The drug was stronger than I have ever encountered. The bullet diffused the Aconite through my chest, causing me pain the bullet itself could not. I could barley take a step before the special effects kicked in, and I fell to the feet of the hunters, feeling their hands picking me up, chaining me to the Elliot and the cart. I managed to stay awake for barley a minute before the silent darkness took over.


	2. Chapter One: Three years Earlier

* * *

_ **Episode One** _

* * *

**** **Chapter One: Three years Earlier**

I knew I had to marry her from a very young age.

Two families, as rich and powerful as us, of course we should unite, even if by a miracle her mother would give birth to a boy, I would still have to marry the eldest daughter: Elliot Jones. 

She had marvellous carrot hair, that in the sunlight radiated like blood. It was unruly, curly in a way you know no one touches it in the morning of fear of getting burned. Her hair was also always very flattered by her dark, green eyes. As if to contrast the brightness of her sunny hair, her eyes always seemed haunted (even more so after the transition). 

I have seen her many times before the wedding, of course, but never really, actually, talked to her. She was a trophy, since I was old enough to understand our fates, she was a pretty trophy I knew I already won. 

So when we were in our bed for the first time, expected to consummate our marriage, the awkwardness was unexplainable. And now it is even worse, when we are forced to sit alone in the drawing room and drink tea together.

Furthermore, to add to the horrible feeling, our new servant, the vampire, an expensive wedding gift, was standing in the side of the room, unmoving, not breathing or blinking. It was as if something in the air was wrong.

“You…” I said, uncomfortable, and looked at the vampire, staring at his collar, the thing that made him obey, to avoid his eyes. “bring me a glass of red wine from the next room.” The order was direct, inhumane.

He nodded, and disappeared. I sighed in relief, hoping it will take him time to come back. But it was less than 10 seconds before he reappeared beside me, a class of thick red wine in his hand. He also offered one to Elliot, and she took it hesitantly, but drunk it. I barely noticed.

We drunk, both of us, to ignore each other.

Last night was painful, uncomfortable and awkward. No matter how ready either of us was, it wan’t pleasant even the slightest. We wanted to forget. She wanted to be home and I wanted to do anything but be in the same room with the girl I felt like I just raped.

We were both too young. I was only 18, and she 16… It was normal, but emotionally scarring.

We drank, and we finished. I was about to get up and walk out: we sat there for an hour already, my mother could not complain any longer.

But he stood at the door, the vampire, blocking my way. “Move out of my w-“ I didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence, his fangs dug deep into my neck, drawing blood whilst his horrible, iron strong hands held me in place. Elliot screamed, and I saw her pick up a butter knife from the scones in defence. But I already knew, from the strong feeling of his teeth, that this knife would be less than useless.

She stood, shaking, as he stopped sucking my blood and slowly moved away from my neck, he stared at her for a second, eyes glassy and blood dripping from his lips. The second his hands let go of me I dropped, limp, and barley conscious to the floor, and saw from the corner of my watery eye how he walked to her, gabbed her face and bit down on her neck. Her blood soaked into her hair.

I saw her falling on the floor, I saw him bend over her, give something to her. I saw her turn on her side, on all fours, and throw up blood, so much blood until she fell unconscious.

He started to edge towards me, in silent footsteps, when a knock sounded on the door.

I tried to answer, but all that came out was gasps. The knocks became louder, and the vampire stood in the middle of the room, dumbfounded, unsure.

Just as the door opened he put something into Elliot’s hand, and then the door flew open, splinters flying everywhere as a gun was fired, and as the vampire fell down, dead or on the verge of dying, I fell unconscious too. 

***

“It’s alright, you both should be back in your normal selves by tomorrow. It was only a bite, a wound, it will heal. The problem would have been if he gave you any of his blood before biting you… but your wounds seem normal, so I would not worry about it.” The hunter who was called to take the half-dead vampire away explained to me an Elliot after we woke up, sitting on a couch, with a pad on our necks and a blanket around each.

She was pale, pale as stone. And her eyes, they were darker, more green than usual… as if haunted by her own soul.

I felt weak, and sick, and I felt on the verge of consciousness constantly. Elliot seemed the opposite, too awake, every little thing made her head jump… I wondered if it was because he has taken less blood from her.

The sitting room felt too stuffy, and I felt like I could not breath. Getting up slowly, I walked outside while the hunter kept talking to my parents and Elliot about the vampire and the bite and why he could even do it. I didn’t want to hear it, I just left.

I stood outside in the late evening, the blanket still around me, when suddenly I noticed Elliot beside me, resting her white, tiny hands on the fence.

“Are you alright?” I croaked, my throat aching.

“Of course, why aren’t you?” she said, peeling the bandage from her neck, and I saw that there was no bite mark… If my body had the energy my heart would have started to race.

She looked at me, truly confused, until she sighed, a sweet, quit sigh. “Of course… The hunter arrived before he could explain, or finish it…” she said to herself more than to me, even though her dark eyes stared right at me.

“What… are… you… talking… about?” I asked slowly, hesitating between each word, keeping check of the closed door of the house. I could feel the adrenaline starting to flow in my veins.

“You heard the hunter, and you must know by now, with all the information flowing in the newsletters.” She said, raising an eyebrow, “If you have a vampire’s blood in your system whilst he bites you… it’s the first step to the transition,” she studied me, and every second I saw her less and less as a human, her calmness, coldness, it was clear that her humanity was slowly seeping more and more away. “You are in the in-between now, dying…” she might have sounded sad, but then there was a spark in her eye, of realisation, and she drew her hand out of her dress pocket.

A small glass vial rested in her palm, and I recognised it’s filling immediately: Blood.

She was right, I did read it in the newsletters: warnings. The transition of a vampire has three steps, first you have to drink it’s blood, then it has to bite you, and then you have to drink human blood to finish it.

“I would rather die than become _that_.” I growled, taking a small step away from her.

“John Carter,” she rolled her eyes, as if mocking me of how I gave her my name and robbed her of her own, reminding me of the fact that she was still my wife. But was she? “Be serious now, you would not prefer to die, and anyway, I will not let you… you are being childish.” She continued in a stern voice, as if angry at me for refusing to join her in this adventure of hers.

I opened my mouth to protest, tell her off for her bad behaviour, but before a wisp of air passed through my lungs she downed the vial of blood into my mouth. I tried to spit it out, but her incredibly strong hand closed and blocked my mouth before I had a chance. I berated deeply, looking at her in both fear and anger, but I can breath without swallowing, and I expected a standoff, or to someone to come out of the house, to save me…

But she was smarter than that, she was smarter than I have ever thought of her: She pinched my nose, and after less than a minute, when air started to burn in my lungs, my unwanted instincts kicked in, and I swallowed, first the blood, than air.

A soft, thin smile covered her face, satisfied. I expected to feel something, but I just stared at her in full terror. As a man I never expected to be outsmarted, out played by a woman, let alone my own destined wife.

I was bent over the fence, throwing up blood, throwing up MY blood, before either of us could say a word.

It was if every vein in my body wanted to be rid of it’s content. Every dropped of my blood boiled, sizzled out of my mouth, my nose, my ears, my eyes. I managed to stay conscious for a bare second after I was dried of it all, to see the puddle of the blood underneath my feet, to realise that I just threw up my own blood, my humanity.

***

“Good morning, John.”

I was sitting up before my eyes opened, I heard her voice before I was fully aware of my body, the new power, the new energy within it. I heard her as clear as if she was in my own head, I saw everything as you see images in your dreams: vibrant, full of colour, clear as glass. But the smells, it was as if I had a new sense, as if I have never smelt anything before in my life. I could smell everything, and my brain could distinguish between each smell as if it was written on paper; each smell gave me information that not even this new eyesight, or this new hearing could give me. I knew exactly what surrounded me without any other sense to accompany it.

We were sitting in a clearing. The starry night sky above us and soaked soil full of worms and insects beneath us. I knew this clearing, it was about a day’s ride from my house.

Did Elliot carry me here? The part of me that is still human was surprised at that notion, but my new, animal, knowing self knew exactly how logical it was.

I tried to remember my emotions, I knew I should be angry at the woman beside me for forcing me, but it was as if it was washed away by the cold of the night: I was completely, shockingly calm.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” I knew she whispered the words, but for me, she said them almost normally, just with… more air.

“It is,” I responded without hesitation: It was amazing, this feeling, this strength and clarity.

I looked at her as if seeing her for the first time, bright, fire-red hair, dark, un-shaking eyes, perfect, smooth skin. She was almost like a porcelain doll, except I could feel the strength, could smell the power she was holding in her small body. Something in her smell was particular, familiar in a weird sense. I could also recognise my own smell on her, and somewhere within me, the animal side, was glad that I have that sort of territorial control.

“So what now?” She asked quietly.

The second she asked my mind cleared, all of my mental power focused on her question, I felt like I could calculate anything.

“Well, The Hunter must have understood by now… we should get a little further away… find a good place to hide… I… I don’t know what else to do,” I responded, still calmly, but sad that I can not protect her as much as I should.

She nodded, and stood up, as gracefully as a flower growing towards the sky, and stretched her hand to mine. I took it, and all of a sudden there was a deep sense of lust. It came from nowhere, but for that one second where I felt her hand, I could not stop myself. A part of me knew that it was similar to my lust for blood, but this time it was her that filled everything.

We both felt it.

In seconds her dress was up, stalkings off, my blood-soaked trousers on the bare ground. I pushed her so hard against a tree it cracked.

It was nothing like the first time, but the first time it still was. I felt every bit of her I could with my hands whilst she felt me back. There was no awkwardness, no pain, only pure desire. Lust in it’s cleanest form.

We must have damages several trees in that first time, pushing harder and harder until we fell on the floor. We weren’t tired of it, just stuck in the shock of the end of ecstasy, lying on top of each other, side by side, legs and arms intertwined in an unexplained pattern. Her skirt was half torn, my breeches were left in the clearing several kilometres behind.

I don’t know where these new feelings came from, replacing the calmness, I never felt anything like it as a human either. It was strong, it swallowed me whole. This… warmth, this need for her beside me, the desire of her skin upon mine. But this little seed that she laid inside my heart, it grew, and I could not explain it as any other sense but love. It was nothing like human love. It was protective, animalistic and possessive. She was my wife forevermore, but more importantly, she was my mate.


	3. Chapter Two: The Sell, The Owner, The Cannel.

**Chapter Two: The Sell, The Owner, The Cannel.**

**Present day.**

We were chained. To each other and to others: A long big metal rope that connects as all together. Tens of vampires, men and women alike, barley standing, drugged from the Aconite, waiting judgement. They put us behind a thin, wide stage, and 5 at a time, they called us up, and sold us, one by one, like animals at a butcher. Even more so, they took every man’s shirt, exposing our chest skin to the dim, painful sunlight. At least they didn’t touch Elliot clothes: she was left in her raggedy trousers and leather sleeveless top. Her hair was tied in knots to keep it out of her face, and I could see her eyes clearly, the fear and the pain. She held my equally shaky hand, and kissed me for the last time.

“This, Female vampire, young, attractive, strong, probably most suitable for inside… meetings.” the auctioneer called out, and I looked at her. My wife, my mate… They were selling her away as a sex toy.

But surely, the numbers kept bouncing up, until a number was so high no one could challenge it: and she was unchained and led away by a tall, thin noble, with a disgustingly black french beard.

No matter how much I hated that man, when he led her away, I only wished he would buy me too: I don’t care being whatever I need to be so long she is beside me.

“Here we have a young male vampire, seems to be capable of being outside for long durations of time… probably most suitable for stable work as he is quit small.” He was referring to my torn, muddy, green-smeared trousers and bare feet. I had no scars, of course, but if I was human I would have had plenty.

Even when the numbers kept going up, I did not take my eyes off the man who bought Elliot: he put her away in a cage-like carriage, out of sight.

“SOLD!”

They unchained me, and led me to an old, tall woman with a fierce look.

He didn’t buy me…

“The drug poison will dissolve completely in the next 24 hours, so I think it is best to put the collar on in the next 10.” Said the hunter who gave my chain to the woman, who in turn gave him a big pile of bank notes.

She nodded, taking me away into her nice, flowery, open carriage.

It didn’t sink in until I was sitting in the back of the carriage, too drugged to move, that Elliot is away… That I might never see her again.

I expected pain, misery, but instead a soft coldness draped over me, like a heavy winter blanket. I felt empty, as if every emotion I have learned since my transition has been shut down, stolen away with her. There was an empty space in my chest, that only she can fill.

We drove in silence, the woman sitting in front of me, and I stared at her white hair, tucked away in a stubborn bun. She was probably the Lady of the mansion we were riding to: at least I expected it was a mansion, with the size of the bag she paid with.

In my calm daze we passed fields, woods, I don’t know how long we rode in that carriage: I didn’t try to look. But by the time we arrived it was in the early hours of night, when the stars begin to shine, and the moon is so big there is so much light you can see everything twinkling.

A vampire's morning.

We passed the stables, and the woman got off, leading me away by the chain, and into the mansion.

It was indeed a mansion: the stable was for 10 horses with six in, and a big shack type of house attached to it. There were three buildings, two small, and one big: at least three floors, huge windows, all made from grey brick and a dark roof, covered slightly with greenery. At any other instances I would have admitted to that place's beauty, but right then I hated it for it was my prison.

Inside it was as grand as outside, with dark mahogany and marble here and there. We were in the entrance room, full of coat stands and a table with two stools. I expected to be admitted more inside, but instead the woman turned to me. A middle-aged servant woman appeared, and took the collar from her mistress. I was too drugged to fight the small woman as she put the collar around me neck and locked it. The second it was locked I started to feel the tingle at the back of my neck, but it quickly became pain. Tiny microscopical wires dug their way into my neck, and up into my brain. The brain has no nerves, but it was agony nun-the-less. I could barley hold myself from crushing on the floor in tears. Only when my skull was so full I felt it might burst the pain subsided.

“You are now a vampire of the D’Claire family, I am Shara D’Claire and you can call me by only mistress D’Claire or Madame D’Claire, but I hope we will never have to speak again,” she looked me coldly in the eyes. “You are in the lowest of the order, below all other servants, and you must obey all. You are definitely not allowed to run away, kill, bite, hurt or change anyone, you will only do as you are told and your job, which will be a stable boy. You are not allowed to step into the living quarters. Again I will remind you that you are in the lowest place, and should act as such, understood?” She wasn’t just giving me the new rules, she was coding the collar. And as she did a surge of electricity was shot through my brain, making me grimace from the pain.

After that formality I was led outside again, into the stable house where I would stay, the second I was in the tiny living room I could smell that I would not be living alone.

“My name is Martha, if you need something you need to ask me, or Clint. We have already arranged your room with some necessities and clothes. If you are ever needed outside the stables you would be asked, but I doubt that will happen.” The middle-aged turned to leave. “You’ll be under Jeffrinn’s rule in here, he’s the stables master now..." she trailed off, and I guess that the old one died not long ago, leaving this Jeffrinn in his place.

I looked around, the small square room had a nice big fireplace, with two chairs next to it. There was a writing table with another chair and couple of pieces of paper. Then on the opposite wall from entrance door were two more doors, one probably for my room, and the other’s the stable master’s. I stood, unable to know which is which since this Jeffrinn’s smell was on both: he probably just moved to the new room. I was shirtless, with ragged trousers, drugged and hollow, and I had no reason to even care about my nakedness.

I don’t know how long had passed, it might have been a whole night or just a minute, but when the door open my instincts flew back and I turned, almost charging at the entering human, but the collar stopped me, both by making me experience pain throughout my body and by physically stopping me from moving.

Then I registered the boy before me.

He was much older than I last saw him, as he grew from a boy to a young man. Now I understood why the smell in the room was slightly familiar.

“Jeffrinn Brooke?” My voice broke as I stared into the eyes of my former best friend. We grew up together, and he was only 4 years younger than me, but he was like my little brother. We were inseparable, even though he was the servant’s son and I was the young lord of the house. How did he end up here? It was improbable.

He stared at me, wide eyes with terror. He prepared himself for a vampire, but not for me.

“John?” he blinked, “I heard the rumours of the reason you disappeared but I couldn’t believe…”

My eyes filled, but I stopped myself before any blood-tears could come out. Somehow the sight of him, and the thought he missed me while I was running for the hills somehow managed to give a little nudge to my heart again, almost, but not quite, restarting it from the loss of Elliot.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. 

He just swallowed, nodding. “I’ll show you to your room.”


	4. Chapter Three: Joys in the Balance

**Chapter Three: Joys in the Balance**

It took a couple of days for Jeffrinn to relax around me, to understand that I was going to bring him no harm now after I was re-born. We haven’t spoken a lot, but I could feel it.

As it turns out, I got merely a cup of blood every week, to keep me weak but functioning. I expected there to be not much work in the stables, but the horses were often used and for many uses around the estate, meaning both me and Jeff were rarely free. He taught me quickly how to care for the horses, how to clean and groom them, how to change a horse-shoe, how to put a saddle on. Whenever he had free time, Jeffrinn rode, and I understood that he somehow loved those animals. The six horses, Mathew, Merry-Jane, Marcus, Roxanne, Gale and Dove, each with its own personality. Jeffrinn’s favourite was Marcus, who was a big horse with a lot of power. After some time I grew to like Dove, who was a white gentle horse, that acted as if he were a prince.

“Would you like to come ride with me?” Jeffrinn asked me shyly one day, about two weeks after I came to the estate.

I looked at him in a bit of surprise, he hasn’t really asked me to spend time with him before.

I nodded, “I would love too.”

I took Mathew, and Jeffrinn took Marcus, after we each put our own saddles on, and we went for a ride around the vast estate: I found out that half of the nearby wood was owned by the D’Claire family, which meant I was allowed to roam there without my collar making me collapse. It was a nice summer evening, and we spend it, in silence, each on his horse, until the sun truly disappeared and I felt my blood warm up. I was always more alert during the night, even though I had no problem being awake in the day, or spending time in the sun, I would forever prefer the night, like a truly nocturnal creature.

“I’m sorry I have been acting so strangely,” Jeffrinn said all of a sudden when we were simply walking the horses side by side.

“Nonsense,” I smiled, “It is completely understandable, however I am the same person, so I am glad you came around,” my smile turned into a wolfish smile.

He chuckled, “You missed me,” His grin accompanied his mocking, like always.

“Of course, I didn't have a chance to say goodbye, and that always makes it worse.” Even though I was smiling, my words were honest.

He sighed, and nodded. “I can’t imagine what it is like… do… did you hate yourself? At first?”

“No,” I answered simply. “I wasn’t even angry at Elliot… After we were re-born… Our marriage… well it started to mean something…” my voice broke. It was painful to talk about her now that she was so far away.

How am I supposed to balance the joy of a friend with the pain of the emptiness she left behind?

“Oh.. I’m sorry… Is she alright? I heard about a lot of vampires being killed recently,” he looked at me, worried and pitying.

“She is alive, but she was sold to someone else,” my voice became bitter. “I do not understand why do the humans get to treat us like this.” I growled, my voice becoming more and more like an animal.

When I looked at him again, Jeffrinn was in shock, and in horror, I realised what I said, how I distanced him from me by talking about humans in a de-humanising way, and how my animalistic behaviour were not familiar to him.

“Oh… I didn’t mean to—“

“Save it… You aren’t the same, and you can’t look at me the same, so instead of pretending everything is as it was let’s except our differences,” he was harsh and came quickly to the point. The collar sent a buzz through my brain, so even if I tried to tell him that I was the same, I could not. He was right though, we couldn’t pretend.

Another week had passed until he was ready to speak to me outside of the job again, I could see it by the way that he dared to look me in the eyes.

“How are you Jeff? You haven’t told me how you got here,” I said lightly, sitting next to him in front of the fire after he came back from dinner in the mansion.

He moved uncomfortably, and I could smell his nerves tightening. “Well… After you… changed… Your parents were ruined. The Jones blamed the Carters and vice versa… And I couldn’t stay there, so I travelled for a while until I got here,” he shrugged.

I never stopped to think about my human parents, how it must pained them, my metaphorical death, my disappearance.

“You never thought about us, did you?” his voice and expression were dripping with anger.

“No… I didn’t have time, I was running for me life.” I returned the anger, “Do you think I chose it? He put his blood in our food that morning, and bit us, it was either this or death, and frankly, I prefer this over being human again,” I got up, “if you want to hate me for what I am, go on, but I do not hate myself and nothing any human can say will.”

He blinked, “I…” he started, but this time it was my turn to cut his apology.

“You are no better than me Jeffrinn, just because we have different races does not mean we are that different, we are both consumed by survival and emotions.”

“I didn’t know…”

“No, you didn’t, because you didn’t bother to look over our differences, instead you focused on them, and for some reason decided to be angry at _me_ for my re-birth.”

He looked me in the eyes as the silence continued.

“I didn’t hunt you down either, your slavery is not my fault.” he said slowly, thinking about every word.

I blinked, surprised, understanding that in a way I was just as bad as him.

I stretched my hand to him, “So we are at an understanding then.”

He shook my hand, nodding.

From then on we both felt much more relaxed, and could talk about our situation more openly without hate. I explained to him the collar, and he promised he will be careful not to give me commands to hurt my freedom. Each evening we would sit in front of the fire and talk, catch up on those three missing years. Sometime we read a newspaper and discussed the situation about the vampire slavery. He opened my eyes to many points from the humans perspective, but I didn’t kill many humans in those three years: after all it caused too much attention, and the ones I did, I felt no remorse.

“Have you killed?” I wasn’t too surprised when he at last asked me that questions.

“Yes, I have… 7 to be precise,” I answered quickly.

“And you never —“

“No, it’s weird, but after all I agree with you. I do look at humans differently now, I mean… my human life looks so insignificant and… well…pointless, at least compared to life now… I mean I have so much time, I can truly do everything that I want, not just spend my life trying to survive, without living,” I grinned, and looked away from the fire and back at Jeffrinn. Again he looked shocked.

“I can… understand that…” he said quietly, and I frowned.

I wanted to tell him that he is not insignificant like the rest… but how could I? We said we won’t lie about our differences.

“I apologise,” was all I could answer.

***

I was running through the D’Claire’s forest one dark night, finding a rabbit or two to clench my thirst that the small cup of human blood could not.

It was then that I smelled it.

I could recognise it from miles, from the faintest of smells: rain and moonlight, with the kick of whisky.

“Elliot?!” I shouted, looking around frantically, trying to follow her smell. I ran around the patch of forest I could be in for at least an hour, which in my speed felt like five. But she was nowhere. It was just my imagination playing on me, making me hope she was just… near by.

How can I be happy in this life without her? I can’t I knew it. She was everything and my life wasn’t really anything without her… even with Jeffrinn, who I cherished as a friend still, could not fill her place. Nothing could.

I needed to find her. I needed to get out of there.


	5. Chapter Four: It’s a Horrible Life Until Someone Comes Along

**Chapter Four: It’s a Horrible Life Until Someone Comes Along**

Elliot Carter threw the carcass of the rabbit she drained on the floor, breathing again now that the hunger no longer made her dizzy.

It’s been almost two weeks since she last ate, and animals can’t satisfy a vampire for very long on their own.

She was angry.

The human that bought her away from John was a mean bastard. He didn’t buy her for nothing more than to pleasure himself and his friends. He had a wife, of course, but whenever Elliot saw her owners together they always fight, and it ended up with the wife always being hit.

The only reason she hasn’t dried that woman was because of the stupid collar.

Oh, if it weren’t for the collar she would have killed them all.

The man was called Mr. Gates, and his wife was called Lisa Gates.

No matter her anger and hate, she couldn’t help get in touch with Lisa… after three months she already had to help that woman up and clean after her 10 times. That poor woman… Even when she was human and forced to marry John their relationship was never that bad… Though, if she was honest, that relationship was only about a week long before they were re-born.

She breathed in the soft cold air of a summer night, her stomach rumbling, her muscles aching, especially her thighs. But most of all her heart was throbbing in pain.

The sky was dark, moonless, but she could see the stars. ‘He sees the same stars as me, same sky, same cold…’ she promised herself, trying to think positive thoughts… that maybe he wasn’t that far away… Maybe it won’t be long until she will see her mate again.

She spent the rest of the night feeding on whatever she could find, even a dear. She would have killed at least two humans to quench her thirst if she could, but her collar stopped her, the same way it forced her to return to the Gates’ House at dawn.

***

“Come here poppet, the wine won’t pour itself,” Mr. Gates smiled at Elliot in her corner, his yellow teeth making her want to puke.

She did as he asked, she couldn’t stop it, the collar forced her body to move, just the same way it forced her to stay still as he grabbed her arse when she poured the wine into his goblet. If it wasn’t for that steam-engineering she would have killed him long ago. Painfully. Slowly.

There were other servants in the house, a house keeper and two servants girls: no man servants, showing that Gates was trying to save his reputation by buying a vampire. Elliot was not going to let that happen... But with the rules he coded into the collar it was quite hard to ruin it, since she was not allowed to resist or fight back at anything.

After she finished pouring, instead of sipping his wine he grabbed her by the waist and forced her (though not physically) to sit on his lap.

Elliot's dress was thin, like an undergarment: see-through, lace. Her breasts. could be seen quite clearly, but she had a dark underskirt to hide her from her waist to her thighs. The whole garment was dark red, she guessed it was because Mr. Gates had something of a fetish for vampires. Or else he wouldn’t have bought Elliot in the first place, at least not for this stupid job.

He pushed her skirt up, pushing her against the table, and pushed her torso flat, almost making the goblet of wine fall.

This was not the first time he decided to do it in the middle of the day, so it didn’t caught her surprised. She simply laid there and let him have his fun until he at last sighed and let her go.

Elliot Quickly put her skirt in place, took the dressing gown she stole from Lisa Gates and put it around it to hide her body. She knew Mr Gates wouldn’t object to not seeing her body for the next hour, and it gave her a little more control, and a little more decency.

Mr. Gates coughed, took a sip of his wine and lit another cigar. From the smell of his breath Elliot was starting to think something was wrong with his lungs from all of those. And she was happy about it.

Quietly as a shadow Elliot returned to her corner where she stood, almost motionless, waiting. Any other person would hate waiting, but those were the only moments Elliot had free in that horrible house, so she closed her eyes and waited, her breath so slow and shallow it could barley be heard, and it looked as if she might not be breathing at all: a living statue. She wished she was a statue, then maybe she wouldn’t be molested by him.

The hours passed slowly and painfully through each day, returning on themselves: waiting, satisfying, rescuing Lisa, waiting, satisfying, waiting. It was agony, and the truth that she could do nothing about it made it even worse.

The only times that weren’t so bad was when she was in the forest, hunting. She was only allowed to go when Mr. Gates said so, and that was in unexpected times: in the first two weeks she wasn’t allowed, then two weeks later again, now it was sometimes every two days and sometimes every three weeks: unpredictable.

A few hours later he called her again, and she reluctantly let her dress gown fall on the floor in the corner as she walked towards him. He was not drunk anymore, and instead of wanting straight-up satisfaction, this time he wanted pleasure.

“Treat me like a king, satisfy me like a night, and pleasure me like a dog.” This is not the first time he said that, and she knew what he was looking for by now. Without a choice, and with an upside-down stomach, she obeyed. Caressing, being gentle and controlling at the same time, strong like his wife couldn’t, but more obedient than a slave.

After she finished with him he sighed heavily. “You can go out for the night,” he whispered, but it was all she needed. She wanted to wash his smell off of her as fast as possible.

She picked the dressing gown and before it was even on her shoulders she was out of the estate and in the woods, more desperate than hungry.

With her feet in the freezing stream, lying on the warm grass she watched the starry sky, wondering if she will ever see John again. What did she have in this world except for him? Her human father was long gone in the difference of their current races, her mother died when she was young, and she never had any siblings. She couldn’t even remember if she ever really had a close friend: all her friends from the human life all crumbled into distant images that didn’t matter at all.

All she had was her mate, and now he was gone, who knows for how long.

Time shouldn’t have been an issue, since they were both immortal, but each day it became more and more painful to be apart… and it wasn’t their decision, it was forced, brutally inhumane. It made it all the worse.

Then Elliot smelled him.

It was soft, but strong enough to catch her attention, and she sat up abruptly, getting her feet out of the stream and tightening the gown around her, as if it will restore her some decency if John was actually there.

Elliot walked slowly, trying to keep hold of the smell, turning around to make sure she stayed with the wind. No matter how far he was, every sniff made her heart a little lighter, and she could not let it go.

Beyond belief, slowly, his smell got stronger, and her steps became quicker. Could her really be as close as his smell was? It seemed impossible that after those long months he was so close all along? Or maybe he wasn’t, and he escaped, and is here to free her.

Elliot couldn’t let her hopes up, and instead she crushed them, convincing herself that this was an illusion.

“Elliot?’ His voice was so soft, so quite she almost missed it between the wind and the insects around.

In front of her, half behind a tree, only one eye visible, she saw him, staring in shock.

She ignored her instincts, not caring if she will startle him, she was not going to wait another second. And so in less than a second her arms were around him and her face was buried in his chest, blood from her tears staining his shirt.

Elliot didn’t care about the collar that covered his neck, and how the cold metal touched her arms, instead of his skin, or how she couldn’t move properly because of hers. He was here, John was here, there was nothing else she wanted. She could deal with everything that may come her way so long he was next to her in it.

“John,” she sighed, almost sobbing, as his arms slowly wrapped around her, bringing her tighter to his body.

He was a head and a half taller than her, and she was counted as tall. When she was in his arms she felt protected like she never felt anywhere else, because she knew he would give his life for her the same way she would give hers to him.

After a long while simply standing in his arms, she slowly stopped shaking, and forced herself to look up. His extreme light blue eyes, contrasted by his short black hair, were in a state she has never seen before. They were in pain, not fear like those last three years, pain. His face was empty, but his eyes were so full of emotion she knew everything he was thinking.

Her first instinct was to ask what was wrong, but she already knew. This was but a momentary paradise. John was always too focused on the future.

“My love, don’t fret, I am here now,” she whispered, and kissed him gently on the lips, her face still smeared with blood tears.

She heard how he drew his breath in sharply, and felt how his nostrils flared… She feared that he wasn’t smelling her, but Mr. Gates. Elliot knew that John would not deal well with someone else’s smell on her, exactly like she would not deal with smelling someone else on him. He pulled away and looked at her, his eyes shaking from pain or anger, but he gently flattened her hair with his hands, then he stroke her arms and her back. John was trying to cover her in his smell again. She smiled, sadly, and pulled him to a kiss once more. This time she was more demanding, the only way to really get his smell on her, and her’s on him, was to consummate their marriage. They have learned together that when two vampires have sex a bond, unlike nothing else was formed, as if it was a way to become one: smells and emotions included.

This time, unlike their first, they took it slow, cautious and always keeping check of the surroundings. Slowly they kissed, slowly they undressed, even though there was not a lot to take off Elliot, and slowly they loved.

When at last, nearly three hours later, they lay by each other on the ground, her head on his bare chest, one of her legs stretched on his. Only then were they truly together again.

“I have missed you,” he sighed, his hand entangled in her curls.

“Me too, my love, every second,” she replied, her hand making patterns on his stomach.

He took a breath, but before he started to say a thing she interrupted him “Not a word about a plan, I don’t want to hear it. We are here now and that is all I care about.” Her words were almost a growl.

Elliot knew their situation wasn’t good. If they knew how to get the collars off without the keys it would be a different situation, but they couldn’t not without damaging their own brains. She couldn’t fathom a way out, so she made herself content with what she had right now; which was quite a lot more than what she had only yesterday.

So he stayed silent, and she decided to tell him how it was in her prison, how all she was for was to be pretty and to be raped. She told him about Lisa and Mr. Gates himself, and how she was so glad that even though they didn’t love each other in their human marriage he never treated her so. She also told him how every day she wished that he would come and save her from that hell, even if just by his presence. And now here he was.

“I looked for you every day since I caught a sniff on the wind… Almost three days ago… I can’t believe I have missed how close you were for so long.” he sounded angry on himself, so she forced herself on her elbow, and looked into his eyes sharply.

“For a long time he didn’t let me out, there was no chance of you smelling me, no matter how close you were… so stop it, you are not responsible for any of this.” Her lips were tight and her jaw locked. He might be tall and fearsome, and many vampires that they have met, so long they were not extremely older than him, parted either in fear or respect. But she could still scold him like a child. A captain’s captain.

“Of course, darling,” he smiled for the first time since their reunion, and with his thumb he stroked her cheek, “lets get you cleaned.”

They spent the rest of the night in or near the stream, speaking rarely, only enjoying each other’s company again, breathing again for the first time in a long time.

When dawn came, and they each were compelled by their choking collars to go back, each to their own prison, their parting was painful.

“Come here when he lets you, I will be here every night,” he whispered gently, forcing a smile.

“I love you.”

“And I love you.”

***

A week had passed before Mr. Gates let Elliot go hunt again, and she sprinted to the agreed spot. As he promised, John was there.

They went through the same routine, mating as to gain some sort of right over one another. Each wanted the other to be under no one else’s control. It wasn’t possible, but having no one else’s smell was the closest they could get.

Only after that did John join Elliot in her hunt. He barely ate, mostly catching more animals for her to drain. She ate almost three times as much as him, but she regained her composure after he told her he was given a glass of blood each week.

Those hours together felt to her as if she regained heaven on earth, but their happiness soon died. Almost two months after their first reunion, John decided to mention what she asked him not too.

“I’m going to get us out of here, I don’t care at what cost, I cannot stand another month like so.”

“Don’t speak nonsense my love, you can’t do anything significant without being commanded so, and we can’t eat enough to regain power to even start fighting the collars. So stop staining what time we do have together, and concentrate on right now… We need to survive so we can live long enough to pass this revolution.” She scolded him once more.

“Eat enough…” he mumbled, and Elliot could see an idea forming behind his eyes.

“John!”

“Sorry, dear, promise, we’ll survive,” his smile was foxy, smart and deceiving, but before she could do much else he kissed her, and she forgot about everything except his skin on hers, and how his lips parted hers.

They spent the rest of that night mating once more, and when they parted she was content with the amount of her smell that radiated off of John, thinking that maybe by the next time they met they could eat before mating, since the smell would not disintegrate that much.

“Goodbye my love,” she kissed him once more.

“I will see you soon my darling,” the foxy smile did not leave his lips, and it worried her slightly as she ran back towards her own portion of hell, that somehow didn’t seem so bad anymore, now that she knew John was so close by. A guardian angel among the demons that surrounded her.


	6. Chapter Five: The Execution of a Scheme

**Chapter Five: The Execution of a Scheme**

No matter how happy I was now that I knew Elliot was only in the next estate, I could never be truly satisfied until I killed the bastard that forced her to be a whore using my own hands. I couldn’t be satisfied until we were truly free again.

But how can I do it? I had no weapons, I was not allowed to harm anyone, and I was forbidden to even step into the main mansion… How on earth can I get the key to my collar?

I told Jeffrinn about Elliot, even though I didn’t tell Elliot about Jeffrinn, but even he had no idea how to help, either her or me.

However, the last time I mentioned my need for escape to her, and she gave me an idea, even if she didn’t want me to have one.

All I needed was to gain enough energy, to have enough power in my systems to fight against the collar’s control, like my vampire father did…

So every night after Jeffrinn fell asleep I went into the woods and hunted. Every night my strength grew. It was annoying work, drying all those small animals, but it worked. I saved the human blood they gave me in a glass bottle I found in the field, two week’s worth, saving it to when I needed it most…

Now I just needed a plan.

***

So that is how it started, with a full head and a full stomach. My head was aching whenever I thought about it, the collar warning me of my plan, but a good thing about the way the collar worked is that it could not stop me thinking, and could not warn the Mistress of the house of my thoughts. My head was still mine... More or less. Furthermore, I drank two thirds of the human blood I saved, and it gave me enough energy to fight whatever the collar did try to do.

I waited like every other evening for Jeffrinn to come into the stable after telling the horses good night. Unlike him, I didn't feel the need to have such close relations to these animals, maybe because after a while even Humans are like animals to us.

The door opened and he walked in, closing it behind him with a sigh of a long day and readiness to sleep. I didn't give him much chance to turn around before my hand was around his neck, pressing him against the wall. I forced myself to think playful, friendly thought, trying to trick the collar from giving me a seizure: I couldn't hurt Jeff even a little, I only held him in the air against the wall.

"W..what are you doing…?" I could see he was stopping himself from panicking, from giving me an order, still respecting me as a friend.

"You need to order me Jeffrinn, order me to change you... Or I will break your neck..." I said, each word becoming slower and slower as I struggle against the collar.

"But..." He started, but then he looked into my eyes and saw my full intentions; that nothing is going to stop me, even my dearest friend.

She was more important.

He tried to swallow, but found it even hard to breath. "John... Turn me."

My veins were caught on fire as at last both my instincts and collar agreed: at last I could do what I needed without going into a fit. The sparks in my eyes seemed to terrify Jeff even more.

Still holding him with one hand, I bit my own wrist, tearing a chunk of my flesh so I started bleeding on the wooden, straw covered floor, and I pressed the wound to his mouth. Gently.

"Swallow," I said softly, my voice growing deeper, rougher and caressing as instincts I never knew took hold of me.

His own instincts fought too, but he did. One small bit of blood went into his system and that is all that was needed; I put him gently on his feet.

"Thank you," I whispered, before, with my hand still on his neck, I bit him. I gave him the only scar that he will retain, as he also satisfied the need to bite an actual neck, and taste real, warm human blood, which I have been missing for months.

It was hard to stop, but I managed to, knowing what I had to do, and reminded by my collar. I let him go, gently letting him sit on the floor. He as breathless and dizzy, his eyes were full of tears, staring at me in horror.

I took the bottle of blood that I resisted finishing that evening, and placed it in his hand, while still holding it guiding him to drink it. He resisted for a second, "please, I don't..."

What was I supposed to do? This was the only way to set both me and Elliot free, and I even don't have to lose my best friend in the process like last time.

So I pinched my lips together, my fangs still out from the blood that was stuck to my lips. I locked my jaw and forced the bottle to his lips.

He was too tired from the loss of blood, and I too strong for him to fight. He drank the blood, and when I put the glass aside as he looked at me, confused, waiting.

"Why?"

"I have to be free. I have to save her."

He began to say her name, but instead of speaking he started to vomit blood. His blood.

Like I did almost four years ago, now Jeffrinn was the one on his hands and knees, throwing up the remains of his humanity, of his entails, leaving nothing behind but his new, recharging blood.

I caught him when he fell unconscious, lifted him up effortlessly and carried him into his room to put him gently on his bed.

And I sat, and I waited, until my best friend, and my new re-born son will wake.

***

“Master,” was the first thing he said to me as his new self. I never had my own master, my own vampiric father, next to me when I changed. Even after three and a half years I still have not met the vampire who’s blood I had in my veins.

“No, you can call me father, or John, but you are still my best friend, not my servant.” I said calmly. I have never expected the feeling I would have seeing my own son, the parentally gentleness and care I instinctively possessed to someone who had my own blood. I wonder if all this vampire heritage and family positions where in our genes.

He looked at me for a long moment, then around, astonished at what his eyes perceived. “The world is beautiful at night, is it not?" I smiled sheepishly.

“I…” he started, but then he paused, looking at his hands. “I didn’t want this…”

“Don’t worry, you will get used to it and come to thank me,” I said calmly. I hated my master for the first couple of months, but the power and the beauty and the love I had to Elliot were all better than the life I had before.

“Come, I can’t step foot in the house, but you can, you are free, and it is midnight, you need to go and get me the key that Shara D’Claire has. Then I can teach you all that I have learned.”

Even without a father of my own, my circumstances led it so that I had to learn how to fend for myself and for Elliot quickly. Somehow in my blood I knew what to do.

He looked at me, his expression telling me that he didn’t want to steal, to break the law. But he knew that what I said was not a favour or a question. It was an order, and he had to obey.

I hoped it was the last time I had to use my master authority on him, but I knew it was not.

***

Jeffrinn crawled on his tip-toes through the quite corridors. He could hear people breathing in the rooms around him, he could smell their blood all the way through doors and walls, hear their hearts thumping. If it wasn’t for the scream in his blood that told him to obey his father, Jeffrinn would not have made it through that night. 

He snuck into the mistress’s room unnoticed. He was so quite now, like he was not even touching the floor. At least he knew that, his own keen ears could hear his steps clearly. However, Jeffrinn felt the power, and the freedom, and the ability that was given to him tonight. He liked it, he couldn’t deny that, but somewhere in his heart he knew it was wrong.

Jeff found the key, as promised, in the small drawer next to the mistress’s bed. It was a strange key, not like normal door keys, but round with teeth going in all directions in a seemingly random way. His blood calmed as he held it in his hands. The way out was much calmer than the way in, he made it in about 10 seconds, without even truly running.

His father, his master, was waiting for him outside the front door, eager eyes searching for a sign. Jeff nodded and stretched his hand forward, opening his palm.

It was hard to recognise his best friend through the vale of what his blood kept screaming. 

John’s eyes looked at the key with hunger, but he didn’t pick it up.

“I can’t reach it, you have to do it.” John explained.

Without a word, Jeffrinn walked around to the back of the collar, and gently placed the key inside the lock, and turned it.

The reaction was immediate, a buzzing noise started, and John growled. Jeffrinn felt some instincts in his blood rage at the fact that his father was in pain, but he could do nothing. Soon it stopped, and the collar dropped to the floor, unlocked.

After a few breaths John straitened, and looked Jeffrinn in the eye.

“Let’s go hunt.”


	7. Chapter Six: A First Hunt

**Chapter Six: A First Hunt**

“Where are we going?” Jeffrinn hesitated as he followed his father out of the woods.

“To eat, of course,” No matter how many times he asked, John never gave hima more satisfying answer.

But Jeffrinn wasn’t an idiot, and he knew that if they were not in the woods, then John was not planning on eating animals tonight. Even with his worry, he could not keep his mind on one thing for long. His senses were like every specialised animal combined. His touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing were about a hundred times sharper, and he could not keep every one of them from being active every second. He smelled everything, from the tree sap, to the insects, the warm ground, and that was only what was around him, he could smell everything that was there before, footprints of smell, and he could smell the trail that John left behind himself. He could hear every single thing for miles, could feel the wind on his skin, the grains in his clothes, the sand in his shoes. He could taste the air.

The only thing that kept him moving was his uncontrollable obedience to John, as if there was a string from Jeffrinn to John, and John kept tugging on it to keep Jeff moving.

With all the over-bearing sensations, it was hard to keep track where they were. For a second Jeff noticed that they were in a small gravel street, walking towards a wooden house with only one floor. But then he saw the moon’s light, how it was hitting the ground, and he looked up, mesmerised by the beauty of the sky: he could see every star, they produced so much light it was as bright as day…

“Shh… notice your steps, make them silent, we need to get in and get out without being noticed…” His father’s voice brought Jeffrinn back to his body, and he looked at the door in front of them. He was right… John did bring him to feed on people.

“Smell the air, pin-point the smells that are coming out of this house… What can you sense?” John asked him gently, looking in his eyes.

So he did. “I… I can smell two three men… One is quite young… the other two are not…” it was easier than he expected to decipher what his nose caught.

John nodded, “Three men, one about 15 years old, the other two about 30 to 40. Good. Now we’re going to go inside but I want you to keep check, no leaping, keep quite.” John instructed as he opened the unlocked door gently, it barley even creaked.

When they stepped inside Jeff understood why John compelled him to not leap: There was only two rooms in the house, and this one had a small kitchen, table, a small couch and a mattress on the floor. On that mattress the boy slept… His smell was sweet and fresh and close, and if it were not for John’s compelling Jeff’s instincts would make him eat that boy straight away.

He was hungry. He was starving. How come he didn’t notice this before he smelled the blood? Jeffrinn could hear his breathing, he could hear the blood flowing in circles in his veins, hear his heart beating, he could even see the veins in the boy's hands, face and neck.

Something very strange happened, slowly, and almost painfully, and certainly for the first time, Jeffrinn’s fangs came out. The two teeth that beforehand were completely normal size slowly drew out of his gums, becoming almost three times their previous size. Even with his lips parted he could feel the sharp ends pricking his lower lip.

Some how that first transformation on the teeth transformed something more in Jeffrinn. His humanity was chipping away, and the feeling of fierce symbolism of animals made him feel powerful, and suddenly comfortable in his own, new, strong skin. His pupils enlarged, engulfing his caramel irises completely. He felt like a wolf, ready to pounce like a lion on his awaiting prey.

So he did. Crouching, he slowly made his way, completely silently, towards the sleeping human. John said no leaping, and to keep quite, but he didn’t tell Jeff he couldn’t eat.

Oh, how hungry he was, his stomach curling in thirst.

For several seconds Jeffrinn crouched next to the head of the boy,an animal judging the state of his prey. He drunk in his smell, sensing his vitals were completely fine, no alcohol or drugs in his systems.

And then, without a second thought or hesitation, he slipped one hand under the boy’s neck, put the other on his mouth, and lifted him until Jeff could comfortably attach his lips to the boy's neck, feeling the warmth of the blood and the softness of the skin.

Then he bit.

The skin parted like soft butter, first his enlarged fangs, than the rest of his teeth. He could feel his fangs piercing the main vein in the neck, more deeply in the flesh.

His lips almost made a vacuums on the wound, and at first the blood came easily, and quickly out, filling Jeffrinn’s mouth with a million tastes, and his head with a million images. It was sweet, but metallic: it was everything he wanted. Jeff quickly strengthened his hold on the human as he woke and struggled, and as more blood came, he sucked harder, barley managing to swallow it before more filled his mouth.

Jeffrinn didn’t care that some blood escaped, dripping from the corners of his mouth and down the human’s neck, soaking the mattress. IT was all he wanted. IT was everything. The human’s memories filled his head and gave him such satisfaction. He had him, he possessed him completely. The blood didn’t simply nourished him, but the warm fresh liquid also gave him control, power, he had gained the thoughts of his prey, and with them full satisfaction. They were blurry compared to Jeff’s own view of the world now, and he soon forgot the human’s feelings, the blood power filling his thoughts instead, but the fact that he had them in the first place were what gave him power.

Not very long after he started drinking, the blood dried out. He tried to take more but there was none left… And with it the satisfaction of possession.

“more,” he breathed as he let go of the body, dropping the 15 years and 3 months, who has endured the loss of most of his family to end up Jeffrinn’s first meal.

He didn’t care any more what John told him, he followed the smell, jumping over the couch in speed to the next room. There were two beds, a man on each. Jeffrinn went to the one with the sweeter smell without even feeling himself walking, he managed to break a glass of water that was standing on a table in his way, but John was there, holding the other man as he woke. Jeffrinn barely noticed that his father had his back, all he saw was his prey.

The human opened his eyes, blinking and confused, and when he managed to see what was coming his pupils enlarged in fear, but he didn’t for long, since Jeff already had one hand on the human’s bare chest and the other on his head and he pushed him into the bed, exposing his neck.

This time it took even less time for Jeffrinn to finish, and he almost ripped the human’s head in anger when he could offer him not more blood.

Jeffrinn turned around and almost jumped to the other bed. John was there, in his way, his lips against the human’s arm, feeding. He didn’t care enough, he didn’t care at all, he simply bit the human’s neck in desperation for more.

That human was even less satisfying, as not all his blood was Jeffrinn’s… Most of his blood was already drunk by John.

So he jumped up, following his sense of smell in trying to find another human, but instead of finding himself out of the house he found himself stuck against the wall, John’s elbow against his neck and his other hand holding one of Jeff’s arms. Jeff tried to kick, scratch and crawl his way out of the situation, but he couldn’t. He growled and huffed and screamed, but John was too strong.

“Jeffrinn, son, listen to me, you need to listen to me,” after a long time John’s voice at last pierced Jeff’s haze.

“You have eaten enough, drained two and a half, you are full, the only reason you are looking for more is because you want the feeling of taking to continue, but you need to notice the feeling that comes afterwards too, it is as good as the process.” John’s voice was gentle, but his hold on Jeff was unwavering. 

“Feel how your body is full of energy and power, feel the greater sense of control over yourself, how you are not hungry anymore, feel the blood in your stomach instead of your mouth. Let the satisfaction of a good meal relax you, let it bring your fangs in.” There was not a second John stopped speaking, his voice kept washing over Jeff, in an unstopping wave, forcing him to listen. Slowly Jeffrinn stopped clawing at his father, and stared into his blue eyes instead, his arms dropping to his sides.

“Do you feel that? how it’s fuelling you? how you still possess those memories, you still possess their blood… Look, you taken everything, they are just empty shells now, feel that power… so you can let go of the need for more, fresh blood.”

Jeffrinn swallowed, some of the blood that remained in his mouth making him burn again for more, but he forced himself, almost failing to do so, to focus on John, and follow his instructions. When he at last managed to calm the blood rage, he needed to barley think of it for his fangs to contract back into his gums and jaw, until they were normal size once again. The second they were in, some of his humanity returned.

He shuddered, almost falling into John’s arms after his feet were on the floor again.

“What have I done?” Even Jeffrinn himself wasn't sure if he referred to the death he had cause or just his own personal loss of control.

John’s arms were steady, and they helped Jeffrinn regain his balance again, almost holding him up.

“Nothing wrong, it's not easy to control blood rage, and it happens wether we want it or not, the question is if we can beat it, and let it pass us without causing us to do things we don't want to do… You’ll learn to enjoy blood without taking it all, at one point or another, but even if it takes you longer, you don’t need to punish yourself for it. Killing is in our nature.” John had the same relaxed but lecturing voice, and he smiled, “And it is fun, but if we over do it, it will lose it's magic.”

“Magic? In death?” Jeffrinn was horrified, not because of the idea, but because he somehow, instinctively, agreed with it.

"It's the same magic that we see in life,” John shrugged, “come on, we need to get out of here before some farmer near by heard your screams and decided to come and help.”

Jeff blushed, feeling ashamed at his behaviour and his loss of control, but his father turned around and walked out, not even noticing, or if he did, did not care to mention it.

The smell of blood was all around him, from where he spilled, like it was smeared on his face. But most of it was already dry, both in the bedroom and the room where he killed the boy. How long has he been in the rage that the blood was already dry? 

He stopped in the kitchen, soaking the cloth and cleaning his face from the crusted blood. He froze when he saw the boy, mutilated, his neck torn open, blood in the mattress around his head and chest, his whole position unnatural, his legs that were kicking facing the opposite to his chest and head. Wiping his face once more, trying to not let the images from the boy's memory to fill his head, but his name was everywhere: Troy Euston… He was so young… Jeff gritted his teeth, he knew that what John said was right, but he still felt guilty. At least, Jeff hoped, he will see his mother in heaven.

His question of time was answered when he stepped outside, and saw that the moon, which was high in the sky when they stepped into the house, was almost gone now. Stars were disappearing as strips of light started filling the sky. John stood on the edge of the road, his hands in his pockets, waiting. By his count, Jeffrinn was in that house for almost four hours.

“When the sun is up we will be extremely hunted men… so I suggest we get going,” John said calmly, even though his eyes darted around.

“Where?”

John’s eyes fixed on Jeff’s, “To save my mate.”


	8. Chapter Seven: The Rescue

**Chapter Seven: The Rescue**

Elliot sat, hugging her legs tight to her chest, sitting in a small pool of blood: Last night was the worst of all.

Mr. Gates had two of his friends around, and they had found a new toy, a whip, and not just a whip, but one laced with Aconite. A vampire’s healing is extremely reduced by Aconite, and it pierced through her skin like any human, leaving behind bleeding scabs. It was a short, six headed whip, and Mr. Gates and his friends used it almost constantly, on her back at first, but then also on her legs, arms, stomach, even twice on her face. Any clothing she had on was either stripped away or cut from the whip, so she was sitting naked, trying desperately to heal.

Whenever she closed her eyes she could see their faces, hear their laughs as they stuck fingers or their dicks inside her, while stroking or whipping everywhere else. She has never felt more violated, the Aconite affecting even her mental capacities to cope with such horrors. She hoped he will let her go eat the next night, so she can heal, and see John again… but she also hoped it will be several days, so John wouldn’t need to see the wounds. It will take them at least two days to heal, even with animal blood.

So she was sitting, shaking, in the corner of the small room on the second floor she was locked in, her eyes tightly shut, humming to herself to try to distract her thoughts.

Then the door was kicked open.

She shrunk into the corner more, trying to cover herself, protect herself, but then she noticed that it wasn’t Mr. Gates, it was a vampire…

Elliot didn’t recognise him, but there was something familiar in him… Something in his smell…

He stared at her for a long while, his young face shocked, frozen. What was he doing here, was he here to help her? or simply relieve her of her misery at last.

“Elliot? Elliot Carter?” He asked, as if not wanting to believe the miserable figure in front of him was her.

She could barely nod to the question.

He sighed, or gasped, she couldn’t tell, but he walked towards her, slowly and carefully, but when he saw she had no clothes he stopped.

The young, just re-born vampire turned around to the half bloodied bed and found a clean sheet, and then, this time more quickly, he came to her, and gently, very gently, placed the sheet over her shoulders, covering her and her wounds.

“That’s better now isn’t it?” he smiled, but he didn’t look happy at all.

That was when John burst into the room. Elliot almost fainted.

“Don’t… touch her…” John said slowly, and the vampire quickly walked away, looking at his hands as if realising something.

“Oh… I… Sorry father.”

Father? John? What was that strange vampire talking about?

Through gritted teeth John sprinted to her side, taking her face, which had two deep cuts on her cheek, and gently stroking it.

“My dear… What happened?” John asked quietly as he took her softly into his arms.

She didn’t even have enough energy to cry, she couldn’t afford losing any more blood.

So instead, as he was picking her up, she let herself drift into unconsciousness.

***

I looked at her, wounded almost everywhere, sleeping in my arms, a sheet barley covering her.

The anger swelled inside me so tight I felt I might explode.

“Find her clothes,” I commanded Jeff through gritted teeth while I rested her on the bed, turning her on the side so I could reach the lock of her collar. I found the key while Jeff found her.

So I opened her collar, I set her free… It was lucky that she was unconscious, so she couldn’t feel the pain as the collar opened and left her brain. Breaking it, I threw it on the floor.

By then Jeff already found a short summer dress, and he quickly walked out of the room as I started to dress her. I didn’t tie it on her back, as it would worsen the wounds: There were tens of them, whip cuts, deep in her skin and flesh… By the sour smell and the fact that she was still bleeding I knew this was done with aconite. I couldn’t wait any longer.

“Keep an eye on her,” I barley finished the sentence before rushing out of the room and into the room I sneaked silently in before, where a couple were sleeping. Mr. and Mrs. Gates.

Now I didn’t care if I would wake them up, I simply dragged the man by his hair out of the bed and pressed him against the wall. He woke up in a shout, trying to get out of my hold.

“You. Hurt. Elliot.” I could recognise his smell, it was the one that was always on her when we met these days.

He just looked at me in shock, confused.

I tightened my grip around his neck, drawing blood, but this quick death was too good for him. His wife was screaming and crying behind me.

I let him fall on the floor, and he grabbed his neck, trying to stop the blood. I kicked him in the ribs so hard he left a dent in the stone wall, but he was still conscious.

I grabbed him up again, and ripped his fingers, one by one, clean off, keeping him awake with my blood, and after his screams filled the air for long enough, I stabbed his eyes, popping the eyeballs out. But even though he was almost dead then, I still ripped his neck apart, throwing his head across the room and letting it splat flat on the fire place before walking out, leaving the crying woman behind. From what Elliot told me she did not deserve the same fate as her husband. I was doing her a favour, killing him.

Still covered in blood, I went back to her room and picked Elliot up, softly, as not to hurt her.

“We need to go, far, into the woods, into the forest.” I growled.

***

Jeffrinn has never seen his father like that. It scared him, but it made him realise even more what kind of relationship he and Elliot had: John would do anything. He already did, changing Jeff.

So he kept quite, following John out of the house and into the woods, walking with amazing speed, the wind rushing across his face: it was still barely day time.

He realised the power of smell, and understood quietly that without John’s permission, he could not touch Elliot, for it will leave a mark on her skin, at least momentarily, and that will hurt John’s territory of his mate.

It explained why John murdered her rapist with such brutality.

“Master…” Jeff decided to use the safest word now when talking to John, as he could even smell his father was on edge of ripping more heads off. “I think we need to find something to eat, for when she wakes up.”

“She will drink animal blood until she is strong enough to hunt humans herself. She needs a hunt, not to be fed with a spoon.” John growled, and Jeffrinn sighed.

He wasn’t hungry as such, but he wanted to hunt… his whole body craved it. However he didn’t mention it, he wanted to show John he was stronger then that… He wanted to show himself.

They ran for most of the day, the sun was painful, too bright, too hot, but not harming. So Jeff suffered it in silence as they went deeper and deeper into the woods. They found themselves in such a tight forest, the sun didn’t bother them anymore, and Jeff could smell many big animals around them. Wolves, foxes, dears… huge compared to the squirrels and rabbits of the edge of the woods.

John suddenly stopped in front of a very big, very old, oak tree. It was already sun set.

“We’ll rest here until she wakes, it will take at least a day for hunters to get here, even more so because they can’t travel by horse here… we should be safe.’ John almost mumbled as he put Elliot down on her side near the roots of the tree, as if convincing himself.

So Jeffrinn obediently sat, resting his back against another tree, and looked up into the slowly darkening sky.

***

Elliot woke with a startle, almost getting up to her feet before the pain took hold and she sunk down again, except this time she was lying on John.

She breathed his smell, felt his closeness, and slowly regained her senses.

“How are you feeling, my dear?” John whispered.

“Hungry…” Elliot said simply, her voice hoarse from the pain and lack of blood.

“Of course… I brought you two deer.” John kissed her lightly on the scalp, one of the only places that were not cut deeply.

She didn’t care about the presence of the other vampire, she saw the deer and grabbed it, biting its hide and draining it quickly. The wounds slowly closed.

She then drained the other one, only then wiping her mouth and taking her fangs in, breathing with relief. She rested on John again, closing her eyes.

“Who’s he?” she asked without opening her eyes.

“Jeffrinn Brooke, I turned him a couple of days ago, he is also my best friend through childhood.” John said calmly.

“He’s your son.” Elliot marked, opening her eyes and looking at the brown haired, caramel eyed boy. He was maybe 19 or 20… even a bit older than the age Elliot and John changed. She didn’t need to ask because she knew enough to know what kind of relationship can be formed between a vampire and his blood family… It meant that, through their marriage and mating, he was related to her too.

But he wasn’t her son… he was John’s… It felt unnatural, as if he was a bastard.

However, for John’s sake, for what she heard in his voice when he replied yes to her remark, she forced herself to her feet and walked towards Jeffrinn, stretching a hand to shake.

The boy scrambled to his feet, confused and awkward in his own body, and he shook her hand.

“Elliot Carter,” she said, emphasising the surname.

“Jeffrinn Brooke,” He nodded. He could have returned her emphasis, notice her remark and use his rightful name as a Carter… But he didn’t… She didn’t have very high hopes for this boy.

***

Looking at them, now I could say I truly had a family.

However, I could feel there was tension between them… I hoped that Elliot will learn to accept him, and the fact she had a son. Maybe it would have been easier for her to grasp if she was part of the decision, but she would have stopped me from doing so, therefore I couldn't tell her until now, when she was free.

“Are you still hungry, my dear?” I asked her as I gently hugged her from behind, breaking the silence between her and Jeff.

“Starving,” she replied, and one look in Jeffrinn’s eyes I saw he would also benefit from another meal.

The first days, in the first weeks of a vampire's life there is a hunger like nothing else, there is a need to eat more than normal, as if all those years of being human were years of starvation.


	9. Chapter Eight: Boundaries

**Chapter Eight: Boundaries**

“There,” I said when at last we found something to eat: we were still in the woods, but this was a woodsman’s home. I could smell from afar the couple and their two children, both already quite grown, both girls.

I feared that killing a woman will be harder for Jeffrinn, but when I suggested it he did not seem to mind, so we went on, in the late hours of the night, into the house.

It had one room, with one big bed that all the girls shared, while the father slept on the floor. He woke when we broke the lock, though the rest were still asleep: he had an axe in his hand by the time we got inside.

Both Elliot and Jeffrinn were not in control, their fangs out and eyes black the second we stepped through the door: she was hungry, and he was young.

But two vampires eating the same person will not end well, so I grabbed Jeffrinn, deciding to each him control. He tried to take his arm out of my grasp but couldn’t, I looked him in the eyes, that were no longer even a little brown, and I reminded him to control himself.

“Breath, control it, you need to be able to feed without losing yourself.” I whispered.

Elliot meanwhile did not wait, she ran head on at the human, who in turn tried to swing his axe, but Elliot was extremely fast, even for a vampire, and easily walked out of the attack, extending one arm to grab the axe out of the human’s hand, and the other went for his throat. In seconds he was on the floor, the axe thrown away, with Elliot holding him down with one leg on his chest and holding his head and neck tightly. As she bit him, he quickly lost consciousness.

When the blood was even more exposed to the air by Elliot’s blood, Jeffrinn increased his strength.

“Choose your prey by the smell, and treat them kindly.” I hoped that they didn’t have to kill this family, but by Elliot’s hunger, Jeffrinn’s rage and the distance it took for us to find even this house, I decided to throw that hope away.

I let Jeffrinn go, and he almost froze in surprise, but then he quickly went to the bed, caught the mother by her hair and dragged her to standing before he bit her neck… Her scream woke her children, who woke confused, staring at their parents being dragged into death.

They didn’t deserve this… But I knew Elliot hated eating the dead, so I simply grabbed their necks and suffocated them until they lost consciousness. I knew Elliot needed more blood, and Jeffrinn might not be satisfied with only one… but I was hungry too, so I ate, through the arm like I always did when I didn’t want to finish them off. I took maybe a third of the blood, leaving the rest for Jeff.

Luckily Elliot finished before him, and she saw my bite, and took the other, older girl. Jeffrinn unlike her just grabbed the closest, not even noticing she was not full anymore.

When he was finished he got up and walked around in search for more, and I stood by Elliot, protecting her from his rage, and when he walked to her, I was there, grabbing him by the throat.

“Jeffrinn, concentrate, feel that satisfaction, let your fangs come in at the end of the meal.” I started talking to him like I did two night ago at his first hunt, except this time he didn’t scream at me, he simply shook for a while, trying to get out of my hold, but quite quickly his fangs and pupils retracted and he was himself again.

Elliot, who finished by then, stared. I recognised her displeasure: she did not approve of Jeff. But I couldn’t understand why.

“There, all full?” I smiled, looking at Elliot, then at Jeff, each nodded in their turn, though none replied to my smile. What was going on?

***

It was a battle.

Jeffrinn was sure Elliot started it, but he was not going to keep ignoring it, and lose. It was a battle of hierarchy, who was in a higher status, the mate or the son? Both were defiantly important… And before Jeffrinn would have been convinced Elliot was more important than him, after all John changed him for her… but now he wasn’t sure anymore, mostly because of the way Elliot was acting defensively.

He wondered if it was a good thing.

The problem was, he wasn’t sure how to fight that battle.

This time hunting, unlike the last, he didn’t get so soaked in blood, and his face was pretty clean. Adding to the fact it took him very little time to regain control, the blood on his face was still dry, and he didn’t even need water to wipe it away.

However, Jeffrinn knew he needed more to impress Elliot… Or John.

“So… What’s now?” Jeff asked as they walked out of the shed, and back into the deeper forest.

“Well… It will be impossible to have any kind of normal life here… not ever… At least until the revolution is over and things settle down,” John mostly talked to himself, but from time to time he looked to Elliot, and even less he looked to Jeff.

“I agree… but France is more than likely in the same revolution, and it won’t take a long time until it will spread to all of Europe as more and more vampires go there…” Elliot hummed in complete synchronisation with John. Jeff could not ignore their mating: their smells were all mixed up, and they were, in a way, connected more than anything. It made Jeffrinn feel much like the third wheel.

“Americas are extremely religious, they don’t let a lot of new technologies to come, and they don’t believe in vampires… if there is somewhere that might be safe, it's there.” Jeffrinn almost exclaimed, trying to cut Elliot before she could mention it. Though Jeffrinn thought that he might know more about the world situation than both of them combined, being a human until now and having a proper access to newspapers.

John stopped, “Yes… that would work… at least a little. Every advance they are making here will take quite a while to reach the new world… We can hide there for a while.” He smiled, “We need to get a boat.”

“We’re in the midlands, getting to the west coast will be at least a week, probably more… Are you sure that is the right plan my love?” Elliot took John’s hand, and Jeffrinn clutched his fists.

This was a battle indeed.

“Yes, we’ll run most of the way, collect and fill some bottles for the sea journey… maybe steal some money, eat just before we go, board a ship, and that’s it… No hassle.” John took Elliot’s hand in both of his, and looked her in the eye, “We can leave the past behind us.”

Jeffrinn had no idea what he was talking about, but he decided not to ask. Elliot sighed, and they started walking west.

They run until the sun rose, and then some more, trying to stay in the forest as long as possible. He didn't think it was possible, but somehow they got even deeper, where there was less light and less space between each tree.

When the night cam back they decided to stop and enjoy it resting. They stopped by a stream, where Jeffrinn and Elliot were washing their hands and feet whilst John checked the area for any dangers.

Elliot sat in the water, letting her bare feet heal from the running, while she was cutting her dress with her nails and hands to make it only up to her knees, so she could run properly. It was weird for Jeffrinn to see so much of a women's leg, but it didn't really bother him: his body never responded to women the same way he saw other men respond to them. Plus, she was basically his mother...

Jeff was in the process of putting his shoes back on when they heard a roar, or a growl, it was hard to explain the sound: but it was definitely his father.

"John!" Elliot screamed, scrambling to her feet and running in the direction the sound had come from. But Jeff was faster, and he intercepted her, grabbing her arm just as they got to where they could see John: he was on his knees, his arm twisted behind his back in an unnatural way, probably broken, his neck held tight by a small hand, nails digging into his skin. A small, maybe 10 year old vampire was holding John... But her smell indicated much power, and therefore age.

Elliot froze when Jeff held her, stopping her from running to John, she slowly looked at where their skin touched: he fangs were already drawn out.

"Don't touch me," she hissed, twisting her arm out of his grip.

"Don't run at her, she will rip his head clean off." He whispered in her ear, touching her shoulder as if a warning, but mostly to spite her. She shook his hand off again with a low growl, but this time less violently, knowing his word were true.

He looked again at the small vampire, who did not blink nor budge. She had very long and curly black hair that was twisted into a kind of plat. Her skin was light brown, and even though her pupils were so small, her irises were so dark it was if her whole eye was one huge pupil. She was changed as a child, it was obvious, but her eyes indicated some sort of wisdom, even if her look as angry and dangerous.

"Please let him go... We mean you no harm..." Jeffrinn said slowly, carefully, taking a small step forward just to be a bit closer than Elliot to John, as if in his instincts told him to protect her.

"How do I know that? You just storm into my territory and think I wouldn't notice? Why else would you come this close to my hideout if you didn't want to take it for yourself?" The girl's voice was sharp, but high pitched like any young girl.

"We didn't know it was a closed territory, we didn't know about your hideout, all we want is to pass through to get to the coast, and passing through a forest is safer than through towns... Please, let him go and we will leave." Jeff took another step closer. The look in John's eyes told him that he already told her too much.

Her eyes narrowed more, if that was possible, and slowly, but forcefully she threw John away towards them. Elliot sprinted to him, catching his fall and whispering to him in concern.

“Thank you…” Jeffrinn said, walking to stand by John and Elliot: even though he was concerned for his father, he cared more about what this crazy little vampire will do.

“Going to the coast? What for?” she asked, walking around them in a big circle. She was so small, if Jeff didn’t see how she handled John, he would have thought he could crush her.

He looked to John, unsure of what to say. He understood that his father didn’t think it was smart to tell others, or at least the girl, their plans of going to America.

John coughed, as if to clean his throat, and with a little help from Elliot he got to his feet, towering even above Jeffrinn. How did this small creature managed to catch him was beyond Jeff’s understanding.

“You managed to catch me off guard, I’ll give you that, but where we are going and why is our own business.” John said angrily.

“Right, of course, a nice family trip,” the girl let a grin on her face. She was pushing… but Jeff couldn’t see why she would want to know so badly. She was still circling them.

“Yes, exactly, so if you please, we will get out of your territory as quickly as we can.” John smiled, mocking her back.

“You know I am in the same mess that you are, if we want to survive this Goddamns revolution, we need to stick together.”

“Yeah, coming from the girl who just broke his arm!” Elliot hissed, but John held her back.

“The last time a vampire said that to me, he tried to dry me and steal my memories and energy. So tell me, what makes you so special that we should trust you, regardless of the fact that you are the one to attack us.” John almost growled the last part.

“Two days ago two vampires passed through here, they tried to steal me territory, so yes, I am untrusting, but you seem like good people, and I haven’t been out in a while, so if you don’t mind to share why you are so urgently trying to get to the coast, you are welcome to rest in my domain.”

John looked at Jeff, and then at Elliot again. He had no idea, but they did need a little rest… they were just in the middle of one after all…

And he always wanted to properly meet an actual ancient vampire.

“Fine, but if I see anything suspicious, I am sure three will beat one.” John sighed, moving his weight from one foot to another.

The girl smiled and took a step forward, stretching her tiny hand for a shake.

“Layla Williams.”

***

Cautiously, I took a step and, with my left hand instead of my right, which was dangling, useless, I shook her hand.

“John, Elliot and Jeff Carter.” I said, nudging my head in the direction of each when saying their name.

Layla took a step back and smiled even bigger. “Names are a powerful thing for vampires, next time, if I were you, I would keep it to myself.”

“Are you implying that you gave us a wrong name?” I growled.

“No, not at all, I just didn’t give you my original name, but if you ask any vampire older than ten years he would recognise this name, if that tells you anything,” She shrugged, and turned around to walk away, “come on, I have nice fire and a huge stash of clothes I stole with another couple of things… might want to take some,” she eyed Jeffrinn’s blood stained shirt, which I did notice became quite filthy after his first hunt.

“Why are you being so generous, when less than a minute ago you tried to kill my mate!” Elliot was not as forgiving as I, but I understood this vampire, this was her territory and she was alone and bored… she wanted company. Or at least so I hoped.

“Because you didn’t try to kill me yet.” I could see Layla’s shoulders shrug, but not her facial expression. She just kept walking.

So we followed, we had nothing else to do. Jeff needed clean clothes and Elliot needed clothes more appropriate for running.

“Do you eat only animals?” Jeff asked quietly, and I frowned at him. The idea of having a ‘vegetarian’ as my son did not suit me.

“No, I wouldn’t be able to protect my territory otherwise… but I feed on humans only occasionally, and I try not to kill them t curb attention in the nearby towns,” she said calmly, but did not look back. I was glad she didn’t, as her words sounded like a mocking at my killings… or at least I thought so, Jeffrinn didn’t seem to notice.

After a short, vampire speed walk, we got to a big bush. Layla simply picked a part of it up that I barley noticed was not really attached to the bush, and put it to the side, “Welcome to my layer.” She smiled, motioning us to go through. I looked at Elliot, and she didn’t look happy, so I smiled, to try and comfort her, before walking inside.

I passed through the bush and entered a cave hallway, after that, a big, round cave opened up before me.

It had a nice fire in the middle, with small holes in the ceiling to let the smoke out and the light in. It had a weird bed to the right, kind of workshop straight ahead with wood and bone carvings, and to the left a huge pile. Mostly of clothes, also other things that I wished I didn’t recognise. There seem to be an exit to another cave between the workshop and the pile, but I assumed that this is where I should be.

Elliot came soon after me, after her Jeff and Layla came a little after, probably securing the bit of face bush on the entrance.

“Wow,” I heard Jeff whisper, and turned to Layla: if she wanted to kill us she had the perfect place now. But I still held to the belief that three will win against one.

“So what’s now?” I asked, looking down at her, distrusting.

“Take your pick from the clothes… take anything you want… as an apology for earlier inconveniences.” she smiled at me, mocking my anger at her.

“I don't like her,” Elliot whispered so quietly in my ear only I could hear it, sounding my own thoughts.

“Better than nothing,” I whispered back and walked towards the pile. I didn't need clothes, but there were belts, knives, and all other weird creations. I picked up a weird bow, with a couple of cog wheels at each end that let the string slide through and the half metal, half wood frame, making it extremely easier to pull back, not that it was a problem, since I was a vampire. It had a whole in the middle, to put the arrow in so it will be easy to aim, and the quiver was made of dark leather, with strange copper arrows.

“Where did you find this?” I asked Layla, showing her the bow and the quiver.

“In some university, it was in a glass case, but I like it, it’s fun to use to hunt sometimes,” she shrugged, “tough I suspect a vampire like you does not require such a weapon,” she smirked.

I sighed, annoyed at the fact that such a small figured vampire could catch me, unprepared, and hold me like she did. I need to get my head back in the game.

Elliot found clothes and put on a pair of tight riding trousers under her skirt before facing the wall, taking her dress off and putting on a dark blue satin poet shirt. She used a wide belt around her waist to hold it tight, and a string to make sure her cleavage was covered. She tied her hair with a leather string, in a plat twist, so her face and neck were extremely visible. Because of the summer heat, she also folded her sleeves to just under her elbows.

She was stunning.

I walked slowly to her, forgetting from the rest of the world, and slowly wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her to a kiss.

She smiled, kissing me on the cheek. "Come, my love, lets go," she whispered, pulling me towards the fire, where Layla and Jeff were sitting to changed his shirt too, and found a nice brown jacket.

"So why are you going to the coast?" Layla asked, gently for the first time.

I was careful sitting down, my arm and shoulder still not quite healed, but I looked at her with an expression saying that I was not planning to tell her anything.

"Sorry about your arm," she shrugged, biting her tiny lips.

"I understand the reason for your caution." I said flatly.

We sat in an awkward silence, until Jeff decided to break it.

“So how old are you?” he asked her, and I tried to stop myself from frowning at him. It was a rude question… but thinking of how rude Layla was, I shouldn’t mind.

“Old… but there are older than me,” her answer was vague, and I smiled, she was playing this game the same way as I. Telling nothing, but still talking.

“So how long have you been here?” Jeff kept pestering, and I looked at Layla in anticipation for an answer, my non-injured arm around Elliot who was lightly leaning on me.

I was surprisingly comfortable and relaxed. I didn’t like it.

“A little after the Revolution began, before they really found out how to use Aconite… But I have had this place for centuries,” she shrugged, as if it was nothing.

“And you managed to keep it all on your own? tens of vampires must have passed through here, tens of hunters too!” Elliot growled, still in a fowl mood.

“I managed to bring you precious alpha down didn’t I?” Layla bore her teeth in return, and I decided to quieten Elliot before her temper got out of control.

“Do you have any bottles we can keep blood in? We are trying to go into the sea and we need some supplies on the way…”

“You might as well just go into torpor…”

“Well that would be too dangerous on a ship with many humans on.”

“Not if you’re not stupid and not do it all at once.”

I paused, thinking about her idea. It might actually work if only one or two of us go into torpor at a time, a kind of hibernation to conserve our resources… Yes… it just might help.

“Anyway… Do you have bottles?” Elliot asked, this time more reserved. Ever since our rebirth she went between being a wolf and being a lady. It seemed that now she slowly took her composure again to become that lady once more.

“I guess I can give you a couple,” Layla shrugged and jumped to her feet, strutting to the huge pile, and like magic she simply found, as if she always knew where they were, two glass bottles and three wineskins. And as a method of carrying them, she took out a ragged backpack sack, made from black leather.

As we all stared, she stuffed everything in the bag and walked back to the fire, handing Jeff the bag. When standing she was only a head taller than him sitting, and he was not extremely tall.

“That should be enough,” she smiled at me with those tiny milk teeth, and sat down, “I guess you want to be going now.”

“If you don’t mind.” Elliot’s bitterness was evident. I knew she would have a hard time forgiving someone for hurting me, she was always stubborn.

“You’re lonely, aren’t you?” Jeff’s voice was quite, but it was easily heard by all of us.

“No one ever stayed,” she shrugged, smiling, but saying nothing more to either agree not disagree with Jeffrinn.

I saw in his face that he wouldn’t mind staying, but we couldn’t… we needed to get out of this country for good, so any relaxation would not be temporary, but permanent.

Furthermore, I didn’t completely trust her.

“Well, thank you for the hospitality… Maybe one day we can return the favour.” I said, as warmly as I could, but still looking at Jeff to tell him this was a bad idea.

“Right, yes…” she said, and we shook hands.

And we left.

***

She might had felt angry, well, very angry, to begin with. No one should dare touch her John. But by the end that feeling slowly faded to pity. That little, creepy vampire was alone… completely alone. And scared. John didn’t seem to see it but Elliot could. The darting eyes, the fidgety movements, even the distance keeping between them and the entrance. She was strong, but she was a scaredy-cat, Elliot could see it plainly.

In her own head, Elliot hated fear. She would have preferred to die proud than to live scared of her own shadow… at least that was what she told herself. As well as pity she also felt ashamed. She should have been more polite, maybe not towards Layla, but at least towards Jeffrinn… In a roundabout way he was related to her, it was unfair and cruel of her to act towards him the way she did. 

After such a long time in that horrible place, she thought she would be happy to be out, but there was something of security in the Gates’ mansion, a routine… She managed to get somehow used to it, no matter how horrible it was.

Out here everything was new, unpredictable and dangerous. It brought back out the animal that was created in her rebirth. No matter how relaxed John was when her tantrums came, she hated herself for it. She should have more control then this… Especially now that she needed to assert herself above her mate’s son. She would never be above him if she acted like a child, like a baby who cannot control her cravings. If she wanted control over others, she needed first control over herself.

Jeffrinn was crying the sack, since John’s shoulder was still not one hundred percent, and Elliot noticed that look in Jeff’s eyes.

He loved John, almost as much as she did, but in a very different way. When she looked at her husband it was possessiveness and overprotectiveness, but in Jeff it was awe and respect.

An image, faint and blurry, flickered in her mind. Her own father’s face, her master’s face, from the couple of days, from the moment of her change… a part of her missed him… she understood the look in Jeff’s eyes completely.

“We need to find a big mansion, somewhere with lots of man-power, fill out wineskins, our stomachs, and continue to the shore.” John’s voice was clear, her only comfort at this moment of confusion, and she followed it blind, pushing all other thoughts from her head. So long he was here, she was safe, she was alive.


	10. Chapter Nine: Complications of a Hunt

**Chapter Nine: Complications of a Hunt**

Jeffrinn was by a stream, washing his feet. He was not used to running like a vampire, his shoes had worn away after the second day, and he was forced to run barefoot. John and Elliot did not seem to even notice, but it disturbed Jeffrinn more than they could understand. These shoes that he had just thrown away were another link to humanity he had to give up.

He wasn’t angry at John for changing him, and he was not having a bad time. But he did not like it either. It was not something that he wanted, it was a different life that he was forced to take. Every day he felt his humanity going further and further away, not in a sense of changing his personality, but in the simple sense of morals, of physical attributes and mental control.

He was so, so much stronger, he could feel the speed and the magic and his veins. And it wasn’t something new anymore. He got reliant, used to it way too quickly. First sign.

He was faster thinking too, he could solve simple problems and obtain thoughts much quicker than before. Time was different now, not slower, not quicker… different. He could feel his stillness, but he could feel how much the world was ageing around him, he could sense the difference, the calm, and he liked it. Second sign.

He was emotionally different, as if with his new blood came a monster, lurking, sleeping under his skin. He was not just a man any more, he was a lion, he was a wolf, a tiger. He couldn’t place it, was it a doggish behaviour, or cat? No matter what, it was strong, as if he was really born again, a new him, with animalistic, savage instincts. His old life seemed so far away now, as if it never existed, so… insignificant. Third Sign.

He looked at life differently as well. He could see now, unlike before, that the amount of time he had was infinite. He could truly do everything, if he wished to. His life was worth something, he could make a change… Do something great, if not now, than later. It made other living things look less significant, after all, their lives couldn’t mean anything, they were so, so short… It wasn’t just animals that seemed further away, it was humans… Humans were like animals, and animals were like ants. Final sign.

Jeffrinn hated himself, and he promised to himself, over and over again, that he would use his new psychological abilities to make sure he always had control over himself, that he would always remember that he is no more than anything else, not humans nor animals. He was, in a way both, and therefore should look at both equally… or at least, not put himself above humans. He used to be one after all.

‘Used to be one?! I am talking as if I was reborn years ago! I have only been a vampire two weeks!’ Jeffrinn shouted at himself in his head, and by accident, cut his foot with his nail while clenching his fist.

‘I am human, I am human, I am human,’ he tried to convince himself, but he couldn’t not really.

He was reborn, he was different, he was a predator, not a farmer. Jeffrinn was a vampire, and there was no way to escape it any longer.

Jeff felt himself falling into a deep, deep black hole, where he will lose himself forever and never be able to climb back up. But then he heard John and Elliot, moaning from miles away, panting, whispering sweet, private things, and he realised that he didn’t have to lose himself in this transformation.

John changed, more than Jeff could comprehend. He was a true vampire now, an alpha of a pack… He was Jeffrinn’s father, his master.

But he was still his friend.

He was still _John_. Jeffrinn could get through this, he could survive it and still be himself. He had John there, to help him, to remind him, to teach him.

‘Jeffrinn Carter’ He tried it, first in his head, then whispered it to himself so low he was sure no one could hear. “Jeffrinn Carter.” Yes, it works. He was not Jeffrinn Brooke anymore, he was Carter now… like his father.

He put as much of his humanity behind, but still clung to his morals, which he promised himself he would never, ever lose.

***

Almost a week passed since we left Layla’s hideout, and we still did not pass through a mansion big enough, and I didn’t want to leave a trail, so we waited, hungry, until we will be both got close enough to the shore, and found a big enough mansion.

The Durbervilles, a big, wealthy family, with many servants, and they themselves consisted of two grandparents, three of their children, one with a wife, who had five children of their own. It was perfect. We can truly quench our thirst, and have enough blood to last us for a long while.

But it will not be this easy, this big of a family… we will need to neutralise all of them as fast as possible, to make sure no hunters come too quickly.

And I could smell two vampires. A male and a female, the female older than I, whilst the male smelled extremely young, maybe a year old, no more.

The twilight darkness guarded us, while the wind helped us sense the situation.

“Right, first thing we need to do is lock the vampires away, we need all the blood we can get, only when we finish we’ll let them go, understood?” I looked at Jeffrinn, who I knew had a weakness for helping people.

“Then, we need to kill them all, but not make them bleed. A simple head snap or suffocation, whichever will be quieter and quicker…” again I looked at Jeff, “You need to hold your hunger, you cannot feed before we finish sorting this out, or we will all be dead by sunrise.”

He nodded, “Of course father.”

I wasn’t sure I liked him calling me father or master, but he only used it in serious situations, so I let it slip.

“No unnecessary blood spillage,” I whispered to Elliot, kissing her gently on the cheek, reminding her of her to keep her rage in check. She had a weakness to be a little too violent, but this was too important for that.

“Don’t patronise me, ripper,” she smiled, her fangs already out, and I smiled back, but raised my eyebrows just slightly, telling her again this was not the time nor place.

When I looked back at Jeff, he looked surprised, almost scared, at Elliot’s comment. I realised that he wasn’t fully aware of what we have done in those three years.

“Right, so Elliot will go through the kitchen, Jeffrinn through the downstairs living rooms, and I will go through the upstairs. But that’s only after the outer grounds and houses are cleared, and after the vampires are locked. Before we lock the vampires we stay together.” I looked at them both, waiting until they nodded. We had to be as careful as possible if this was going to succeed, and we had to work together.

It was dark enough, and it was time.

I led the way as we climbed through the gates. There was an old coachman there, but I killed him quickly with a broken neck before he could be scared. We ran across the perimeter first, to check for any more personnel, but found none, so we went first to the stables. The boys there were about 14, and they died quickly, me killing one, and Elliot the other. Jeffrinn hovered about, keeping watch, but I could also feel his uneasiness. He didn’t like the idea of killing so many people, but he also could do nothing to stop it happening. He could not argue with me and he knew it. I was going to show him how to be a vampire the hard way… When we will be safe in America, I will let him be as moral as he wants to.

From the stables we went to the outer houses, but there was only a 10 year old girl and an old woman there, having a lesson among the servants.

We did one last sweep before reading ourselves to go inside and see the vampires. The coast was clear.

This time the point was to be unseen, to get the vampires to us so we can catch them… We were standing outside the back door, going over the plan one last time in voices that were almost silent when the door flung open.

The vampires were standing there… were they really going to make it that easy for us? The female was standing in the door, the young male behind her. She seemed to have been changed in her 30s, but he was only about 15…

“If you are going to destroy this place and everyone in it, you will get us out too,” the female said. She had long, straight black hair, and looked a little of the asian origins.

“Of course, but only if you let us take out share first, stay out of our way until we are done, we will get you the keys.” I replied in silence.

“But…” the young vampire behind her said, but she shushed him quickly.

He was her son.

How did it take me so long to add the smells together? I should have noticed it ages ago.

This explains her willingness to cooperate with us… She was protecting him.

“Deal, so long you leave us something to eat too, we really are starving,” she whispered, and I could see her face twitch as the collar stopped her from raising her hand to a shake.

“Deal, stay outside.” I nodded, and I led my mate and my son through the door and into the kitchen.

“Like we planned.” I said, leaving Elliot in this kitchen, servant area, while sending Jeff to deal with the living rooms. I took the servant’s stairs to get to the second floor.

I entered first into a drawing room, where the grandmother of the family was knitting. She didn’t look up at me as I entered. I was as silent as the wind, but even if she did hear me, she probably assumed I was just a servant girl. But then I crawled closer, and she sensed me. When she looked up, her pupils dilated, I pounced.

My fangs were out, I was hungry, but I stopped myself from the satisfaction of a bite, instead, I just broke her neck, resting her back in the rocking chair she was sitting in.

The corridor was empty, and I went in the bedroom, which was empty. Two bedrooms along I found a servant girl who was making the bed. A snap of my arms and she was lying on the bed, probably for the first time, and definitely for the last.

I came across a toilet in my sweep, and surprisingly, I found the old man on it. It was probably not how he imagined himself dying; with his trousers down, a book in his hand and his head barley dangling from his head. But it was a good a death as any other.

To my dissatisfaction, no one else was in the rooms, so I went to the third floor, again finding it empty.

But I took my time, tiptoeing my way around, that by the time I finished the sweep a scream came from downstairs.

From the living rooms.

***

Elliot understood the vampire, but she did not understand her son. Why would he object to what was going down?

But she didn't let it cloud her mind. The second they got in she ran, not taking care of noise, only for speed.

In the kitchen there was a cook and two girls helping her: they died in 5.7 seconds. Then another servant, this one a little older, walked in. She died in 0.8 seconds.

In the servants dining room they were just hearing the sound, still sitting, all of the remaining 5 servants, eating their dinner. They died in 9.2 seconds. Way too slow by her count… but it worked.

When she turned around she saw the vampire and her son, standing there, itching food, not managing to step outside.

“Out, now, or I will have no choice but fight you.” She growled, the animal of her coming out.

Then the male servant of the house entered, looked around, shocked, and tried to run back the way he came.

She grabbed his head, but this time, instead of snapping his neck simply, she decided to have some fun.

After all, the job was basically done.

One small hand held his mouth tightly shut, but with her other hand she slowly, carefully, slid her thumb between his eyelid and eyeball. She watched, across his shoulder (even though he was taller than her, she simply pulled him down), as his eyeball slowly popped out. Every time, it amazed her that it wasn’t actually a ball, it was… easily squeezed, and more of an eclipse than a sphere. He tried to scream, but she didn’t let the noise get far, but relished in it, as well as the noise the eye made as it came out… a quiet pop.

The blood started gushing out, and the man fainted. All interest Elliot had in him now faded. She was hungry, she wanted his blood, but he smelled no better than the rest, and there was no hurry. She licked the blood soaked cheek, and let his broken body fall on the floor.

Just then she heard a scream, a cry, from two rooms away… This was not good.

She stole a look back, and happily saw no vampires behind her. Elliot ran, passed through three doors until she was standing in a big lounge, with bodies of three grown man, one woman and four children.

And Jeffrinn.

He was standing with his back to the door, to Elliot, facing the corner, his arms hung limp beside his body, but his shoulders were insanely tense.

She inched closer, trying to see his victim, the reason for the scream, the reason for his waiting… He seem to deal with the rest of the room.

Then she saw it, it was a tiny girl, a toddler, maybe 4 years old, her scent so sweet it was almost sickly.

Elliot loved the taste of toddlers, there was something about it, about the fact that it came with so little memories, with only colours and feelings. It was like pudding.

She tried to get closer, close enough to snatch the crying, wailing girl before Jeffrinn could take the snack. But when she was just beside him, he moved, getting in her way and covering the child. She swore, thinking that he was eating her treat, but the screaming didn’t cease… No. He was protecting her.

Then John appeared, running inside the room, looking around for danger, but only seeing Jeffrinn and Elliot.

“Move, let me have her,” she growled, smelling and hearing the job was done. The only heart beating here was theirs and the toddler’s.

“No,” Jeff’s voice was horse, breaking, he hugged the girl even tighter, almost suffocating her, but not quite.

“What’s happening here, Jeffrinn what are you doing?” John got closer, putting a hand on Elliot’s shoulder.

“He’s being an idiot, that’s what,” She just answered, hands reaching to claw Jeffrinn away from her treat.

“No!” he shouted, his fangs bare, gnarling at Elliot.

His expression… something in it was so similar to John, it threw her back.

The crying ceased, the toddler now too terrified to even cry after seeing Jeffrinn’s reaction.

“Jeff, let go of the girl, now.” John’s voice was harsh, and as his master, Elliot expected Jeff to obey.

“No.” this time was softer, and he gritted his teeth. It was apologetic, but still firm, “I am not letting you kill a 4 year old girl.”

“You just killed and let us killed tens of people, including children! What’s the fucking difference?!” Elliot’s temper was starting to waver. _She wanted that girl._

“She’s too young! She didn’t even get to live a life yet.” Jeffrinn answered, but he wasn’t even sure himself.

“None of the other children have had a life yet, even more of the full grown, dead humans had not really had a life. Their days are so numbered from the day they are born, it doesn’t change anything if you kill her now or in a few years. The only thing will be is that she will experience more pain.” John’s voice was weirdly calm.

“No.”

“Oh my lord! Just give her to me you bloody fool!” Elliot tried to stop herself from shrieking, but it was hard. Jeff only growled in return.

“Elliot go outside, tell the lady and her son to go eat the boys in the stables, and the guard.”

She frowned at her mate, why would he give her such orders. How dare he kick her out of the scene.

“Elliot, please, I need to sort it with my son, alone.”

She blinked, staring.

This was what she feared, this. That because of his duties, he’s love as a maker, he would put her aside. Elliot stumbled backwards, looking away to mask the tears in her eyes. But it was too late, he saw, he saw her being weak once again.

“My love, my dear, I will do my best to get you that toddler, but for now eat, have fun… I will join you upstairs on the bed with the sweat one when I’m done.” John’s arms were around her, even though she pushed him, and his lips were stroking her ear as he whispered those sweet things to her.

Then he let her go, and she scrambled out of the room, searching to find comfort in blood, in someone else’s memories.

She dried two whole bodies, but could not quite finish the third, and John was still at it with Jeff, she could hear them arguing… So she decided to be useful, so she could feel strong again, and taking the sack with the bottles, and finding several other containers in the kitchens, she started draining the remaining servants.

***

Jeffrinn went into that lounge with a purpose, a purpose gave to him by his father, and therefore the most important one. He killed the adults first, without an effort, in very little time. It was amazing how easily they broke. Like twigs.

Then he went down the size, each child smelling sweeter and sweeter, his hunger growing more and more towards the surface so he could barley stop himself from biting them. It was a focus that helped him get through it, through the hunger and through the moral pain.

But by the time he killed the second oldest child, the rest started to move and scramble. By the time he got to the little girl she already moved to the corner, huddling, and crying.

Then she screamed. And he realised what he was doing, what he was taking from these little beings, and he reminded himself what he promised to himself.

It was a combat between his mind and his hunger, his animal, but then Elliot provoked him, and he made a decision.

This girl deserved a life.

It was the strongest decision he ever made, like a rope that he tied and could never untie. It was stronger even than the power his master had over him.

“Jeff, be sensible, what will we do with her? Leave her here? Let her cry herself to sleep until someone arrives and finds her? Then what will they do? She will go to a orphanage, maybe a good one, maybe not, but from here on she will never have a good life, you must see my reason.”

He wanted so bad to listen to John, to just forget his morals and stroll blindly, so to never get any pain. But he could not. He could not.

“She deserves a life, I will take her somewhere, one of those couples that cannot consummate… I’m sure I can find one… Or I can take-“

“Take care of her on your own?! No Jeff that is beyond the line. We are on our way to America. That journey is hard, not many children survive it. And even if she does, do you really expect yourself to raise a human child? You can barley control your cravings as it is! She needs to die, and any moment you are taking longer to do that, you are causing her more pain.” His father was furious.

“Than I’ll find her a good place to be, I’ll put her on the right doorstep… I’ll do anything.”

“Jeff, we can barley take care of ourselves how do you plan caring for a tiny human? Even for a short time for you to even get to a town or a city! She needs to eat about 4 times a day, drink water, change clothes, pee, poop, sleep! Do you hear yourself?!”

“I. Will. Do. Anything.”

“Why?!”

“Because she deserves as much as me or you! Maybe she’s not a vampire, but if we kill her now she will never be anything! She will perish without leaving a single mark!”

John hesitated, not sure how to reply.

“Fine. Yes, you’re right, she doesn’t even have the chance. But you have to understand that you are a vampire, and you are right now, a fugitive, fighting a war. You need to kill to survive, you need to keep your track clean so no one can follow, or you will be caught, be used as a slave, or burned at the stake like a witch. If you want to spare this little soul, fine, do as you wish, but if she compromises us even a little… I will not hesitate to leave her behind, kill her or eat her. And you will not be able to stop me. You will not try to stop me.” John sighed, “I need to keep us alive Jeff… or what are our lives worth?”

Jeffrinn listened, in silence, and he understood. This was a fight, this was life, and there was nothing he could do about the big picture. Vampires, including himself, will always kill humans, both young and old. But at least he could keep his own hands clean from this. He could mean the life to this tiny child. It made him happy, it made him feel worth something more than a monster. It made him feel human.

***

This was bad, this was very bad. He was a child, even more so since of his rebirth, and now he was going to try to look after a toddler.

I was not going to help. If he wished to do it, he was going to do it on his own. But I could not fight with him any longer. He would not listen to me, no matter what I said. He knew what he was going to do was bad, but he still determined to do it. I didn’t understand it at all, but it was impossible to argue, so I gave up, like a father with no back-bone.

I guess that was what I really was… with all my harsh tone and physic, I was just as soft inside as ever.

I left Jeff alone in the living room, going to find Elliot and calm her down. She will be angrier about this than I.

To my surprise, I found her draining the servants into pots and bottles.

“It will take longer than we thought,” she said quietly as I got close, examining the way she did it.

“That’s why we came now, and not in the middle of the night…” I paused, standing over her crouched figure. I could smell her displeasure.

“What is wrong my dear?”

She didn’t answer.

I crouched next to her, putting my palm on hers, over the arm of a dead man.

“I know you’re angry and uncomfortable, what is wrong?”

Still, she stayed silent.

“Elliot, look at me, please.” This was the closest we ever got to an argument.

At last, she looked up. Her eyes were blank, but I could see they were red, either from tears or from the aftermath of tears.

“Shhh my dear, I’m here, don’t worry… Tell me what is bothering you?”

“You’ve changed?”

“Changed? How?”

“I’m not the only one you care for anymore, you’re not just my mate, my husband, you’re becoming an alpha, a father… You’re slipping away from me.”

I stared, shocked at her words. Yes I was becoming a father, but the only reason I did it was for her…

“You’re right… I am becoming an alpha, but that does not mean that I am getting further away from you, you’re still everything to me, and to save your life I would not only give up my own, but also his.”

We stared into each other’s eyes for a long while, trying to read one another, until she let a sigh break through, with a kind of sob in it, and rested her face on my chest.

“I’m sorry,” She apologised into my shoulder.

“Me too,” I kissed the crown of her head, smoothing her unruly orange hair until we both calmed down.

***

To my surprise, the rest of the night went smooth. Jeff has eaten the mother, and with her some of her knowledge on childcare, and two bodies after he was calm. Elliot got the youngest boy, and was more or less satisfied. The bodies drained, the bottles filled, and the little human girl slept. She fell asleep shortly after the argument, probably from shock, and was in almost a state of comma. It did allow Jeffrinn to make a DIY sling to tie her to his back in such a way she kept sleeping. It allowed him to carry her around, whilst still doing things. It was smart, indeed, but I still didn’t like it. Neither did Elliot.

But I stayed silent, whilst Elliot found every opportunity to mock or criticise him about it.

Somehow he managed to completely block her bullying.

The female vampire and her son appeared when we were in the middle of draining.

“Please, you promised to get us the keys,” She said calmly.

“Of course.” I nodded, and ran to the second floor of the room, searching for about a minute before finding the two collar keys.

I gave them to the vampire, and they left. Just like that, without any details or goodbyes or thanks.

We worked in silence after that, getting everything ready as the sunrise got closer and closer. We didn’t even finished to drain all of the bodies when we heard hooves on gravel some miles away.

“Quickly, get everything in the bag, put it on you bags and lets go. Now!” I didn’t shout, there was no need for it. They heard me and did as I asked. In less than 10 seconds we were ready, and we took the back door, ripping the fence apart and running into the woods.

There were gunshots in our direction, but we were too far away, getting out of reach into the shade of the trees in the slow, bloody sunrise.


	11. Chapter Ten: Battle

**Chapter Ten: Battle**

"What's your name?" Jeffrinn asked the little girl gently. He already knew, from her mother's memories, that her name was Freya, but he wanted to get to know her properly, without cheating. He wanted to see how long it would take her to trust him.

She didn't answer. She didn't eat, she just sat there, hugging her knees.

"This is a waste of time, we need to get to the beach as quickly as possible," Elliot groaned, tugging on John. But Jeff ignored her, he completely blocked her out. The only thing that could get his attention away from Freya was his father's voice.

John sighed, and Jeff raised his glance.

"She's right Jeff, come on, we need to keep going," John was apologetic, but still trying to be firm.

Jeffrinn locked his jaw and bit his lip.

"Sorry kiddo," he said to Freya as he put the bag on his back, then picked her up in his hands, holding her in such a way that her face was pressed to his chest, so even if she left her eyes open, she will not see enough of the quickly changing surroundings to make her go out of breath.

"Right," John nodded, and they kept running.

Jeffrinn felt they were getting closer to the sea. He could smell the air getting saltier, and more and more humid. The wind also started increasing, getting harsher and harsher as they got closer. The trees started changing, dwindling, and he could see they were no longer the same big oaks as in the deepness of the forest, but now they were thin trees, with different kind of leaves. By the time the sun came down, Jeffrinn estimated that they were only another day away from the harbour.

But Freya hasn’t eaten or drunk yet, or said anything.

“John,” Jeff said quietly, trying not to wake the child. His father stopped, and after a second Elliot also, blurting some remark or another about the child.

“What is it?” John said impatiently, but he tried to sound kind.

“I have to let her down, or she might die.”

“Well, that’s your problem,” barked Elliot.

John just sighed, and then nodded to Jeff. “Fine, just for a couple of hours.”

Elliot growled, but did not fight any longer. Jeff thought that it might be because she knew she will loose.

He walked to the nearest tree and gently put Freya down against it, she woke up, looked around, and then the horrified and blank expression reappeared.

“Do you want something to drink sweetie? Something to eat?”

Nothing.

“Come on, Freya, it’s alright, here, have some water, please.”

She didn’t reach for the cup. Nothing.

Jeff sat in front of her, and looked at the floor. He didn’t know what to do, and he knew that neither Elliot or John will help, nor did he think they should.

There was a click, and a bang, and a whoosh, and a bullet sunk in the tree trunk just above Jeffrinn’s head.

He jumped up at the same time as John and Elliot, and they all looked in the direction of the gun. The trees were far enough away from each other that they could see the shooter: a hunter in his green clothes.

How did they missed him? Why couldn’t Jeffrinn smell him from this up close?

Footsteps were heard, and slowly they could see that they were almost surrounded by five hunters, all smell-less. 

Instinctively, Jeffrinn crouched down in front of Freya as physical protection, and he took her small hand in his to calm both himself, and hopefully her. Just a reassurance of her life through her tiny pulse.

“Let’s make it easy on all of us,” one of the hunters said, putting his gun on his shoulder instead of pointing at them as if to say they had no chance even without him. He was a short man, but Jeff could see he was built strong.

John looked at Elliot, they exchanged glances as if they had a full conversation. He guessed that they have been in a similar situation before, after all they have been on the run for three years.

“Jeff pick her up,” John said quietly, so the hunters couldn’t hear. He immediately obeyed, picking the child in his arms. “When I finish my sentence, we run.”

“Now you wouldn’t want to hurt a small child, would you?” John asked. The hunters looked puzzled, and searched for an answer with their leader. That was the moment all three of the vampires, accompanied by Freya, fled.

They ran as fast as they could between the hunters and towards the sea. John at the lead and Elliot at the back, but as she crossed the wall of hunters one of them managed to shoot.

She screamed in pain, and Jeff could see she was hit in her stomach. The bullet went all the way from one side to the other.

John growled such an inhuman sound and doubled back. Jeff expected for him to pick her up, but instead he lunged at the hunter who shot her. The hunter was in pieces in less than a second, but that was enough time for the others to shoot.

John managed to get hit only in his leg, but he managed to kill two more of the hunters before he came back to his senses from the pain, blood covering his face and clothes. The leader was still alive, and he was shooting like a madman, whereas the others were scared, and started to retreat. John realised this and sped to Elliot, where he picked her up with a grunt and started to run towards the sea in zig-zags.

While a rain of bullets followed them the three managed to get away, barely. Even Jeff had a cut from a bullet on his shoulder. However, by a miracle they were all alive.

But the had to keep running, until not only they couldn’t smell or hear, but until they couldn’t anymore, which was surprisingly quick, since the bullets were laced with Aconite, and caused great pain and dizziness.

Jeff was the last to stand, since he had least in his system, Elliot was unconscious from the beginning, but after about half an hour of running John also collapsed.

Jeff tried to put Freya down next to a tree, but she grabbed on to him, for the first time, and asked quietly to stay close. Surprised from the whole thing, Jeff couldn’t resist her, but instead put her in the made-up slink he made at her house. She fell asleep quickly there.

Then Jeffrinn walked to his drugged father and his mate.

John grabbed Jeff by the collar and pulled him close. “Take the bullets out.” He grunted. Jeff reached to John’s leg, but his father grabbed him once more. “Promise me that if anything like this happens again, or worse… If one of us dies, you grab the other and get out, not matter the protesting. If I get shot, properly, you don’t waste time, you grab Elliot and you get out, you understand? You swear?”

John’s words were muddled, and he was losing his grip on the day with every word, but Jeffrinn could still understand him, somehow. “ I promise,” he whispered.

His father nodded and let go, and he went back to his leg, taking the bullet out from the flesh with his fingernails. He got grunts and growls as a thank you.

Elliot’s wound was more complicated, and Jeff feared he wouldn’t be able to take the bullet out, but then he found an exit wound, and knew there was nothing he could do for her but waiting for her to heal.

All three of them needed blood, but John and Elliot were out, so Jeffrinn took a small sip, knowing that he needed it less than the rest, and waited.

***

Elliot woke up with a howl of pain. Her stomach burned, her legs felt numb and she was hungry, oh very hungry.

“Elliot? Shh my dear, it’s all fine, here, here,” John’s voice calmed her, but she was still in a lot of pain. She barely managed to drink one sip from the bottle without crying. Since crying wasted even more blood, she became even weaker, until she fell unconscious once more.

The next time she woke it was a lot better. She could sit up, and drink the blood she needed to heal. It was still painful, but she could hold it in. She was a proud woman, and to show pain was an insult to herself, especially to Jeffrinn, especially now with all the trouble he was causing with humans.

However, when she looked up she was slightly relieved: Jeffrinn was consumed by the child again, sitting next to her and whispering, not even noticing John, let alone Elliot herself.

“Are you feeling better my darling?” John asked her gently after she downed a bottle of cold blood: she guessed it was twice as much as John had drunk, and even though she wanted to drink three more, she stopped herself.

“A little, but we need more rest,” she predicted John’s actions: he always wanted to keep going, and she was always left to beg him for a nap, just like now.

“You know we can’t, for all I know they will be here every minute, we already stopped for a whole day… No, we need to go the second you are able.”

Elliot sighed in defeat, but laid down, hoping to get another couple of minutes of physical rest before they had to keep running. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any psychological rest. She tried to close her eyes, but all she kept seeing was John’s black hair and bright blue eyes… getting away from her.

She had to open her eyes every two seconds just to make sure he was still next to her, even though she could feel his legs under her head, could smell his sweet breath. But she kept feeling as if she was falling.

Even since they were reborn, their relationship was tight, and since their lives were immortal, she felt as if their love will stay so too. The same, unchanging, strong: like them. But now, something has changed. In those three years, they were all, everything and the only thing for each other. For her, he was still the only thing. The only thing that she will die for. Yet she was not the only thing for him anymore. He had Jeffrinn now, his own son, which he cared for, and no matter what John said, she knew that if something happened to Jeffrinn it will hurt him deeply. She knew that she was ‘more’ important, but it didn’t make it better. She wanted to be the only, not the most.

Elliot could never have that again, she was sure of that much.

“Dear, we need to go, I can sense they are getting close again.” John voice took her out of her thoughts, and with a groan she forced herself to get up.

“All the way to the sea from here?” she asked quietly, and her mate nodded, “we can do it.”

***

As they travelled, Freya slowly relaxed. Jeffrinn could see this by simple fact that she started drinking and eating. She didn’t recoil from him anymore.

“Why do you think she changed her mind?” Jeff asked John quietly one night while she slept and they ran.

“Maybe she understood that you saved her now,” John shrugged, but did not seem to care enough to actually put much thought into it.

“Listen, Jeff, we can’t take her on the boat, it’s going to be hard as it is. The next village that we pass by before we get to the sea, you need to leave her.”

“What?! But how do I know she’ll be safe!?”

“You don’t, but you have done more than enough, and we can’t risk leaving her in the port town, since we will feed there last.”

Jeffrinn ground his teeth and locked his jaw, but could say nothing. The only thing that made him even angrier at this decision was Elliot’s smirk from her glance over her shoulder. 

She might have won this battle, but not the war.


	12. Chapter Eleven: A Double Goodbye

**Chapter Eleven: A Double Goodbye**

Freya was wrapped well in some stolen wool blankets and a leather hat, sleeping. Elliot could see it was hard for Jeffrinn to put her down on the cottage doorstep, to let go of her. It only annoyed her more. What attachment did that stupid child have to that human? What good did it do? Nothing. It was a total waste of energy.

“Can we move on?” She hissed, resting her palm on John’s shoulder, hoping that he could hurry his stupid son along.

“She’s right, it’s done Jeff let it go now.” John sighed. Elliot could feel that he hated being in the middle of this conflict, but she could do nothing about it.

Jeff sighed, and let his arms leave the human, then knocked on the door loudly before they run away in the twilight, again towards the sea. They didn’t eat in this village, they couldn’t afford to bring the hunters on their trail again, they were a hair away anyway.

If she forgot about Jeffrinn, this was almost like it used to be with John by themselves… when life was almost alright.

Now that they were near the shore, the villages were more frequent, and they had no shortage in blood, but for Elliot’s taste, they had a shortage in killings. What was blood worth without the kill? John was persistent on the no-killing part, so she had no choice, but it did not go without loud complaints.

“Can’t you shut up?” Jeff asked when they passed one village. “You’re getting the blood, and we’re doing this for a purpose, so can’t you just shut up and do it without all the stupid drama?”

“Jeffrinn!” John growled in defence of her, and she bared her teeth too.

“I can say whatever I want, I am a free woman. Can you see a collar on my neck?”

Jeff just rolled his eyes, which resulted with John having holding his neck. “Don’t you dare talk to my mate like that again, understood?” John’s voice was so low, she could barely hear it, but it gave her a pleasurable shudder in her spine. She loved when John called her that, especially in front of other vampires. It gave her power, strength. She didn’t need to hide behind John, she could have torn Jeff apart if she wanted to… But she loved the fact that she didn’t need to.

***

We reached the harbour we could leave from to the Americas. We were already full, probably get along fine around humans for a week without feeding if it was up to me. But the journey is long, so we needed to pack blood… meaning leaving a lot of bodies. 

Therefore I had to buy the tickets first, with money we stole on the way.

“Excuse me, kind captain, are you travelling to the American colonies soon?” I went alone, in the middle of the day. The sun was almost blinding. I hate days.

“I am, tomorrow at dawn actually. Are you looking for a passage there?” The captain was a plump man, but in shape non the less. Extremely tall, and I could smell the power in his muscles. A human would fear this man, but I knew that even him it would be no effort to hold down for me. However I had to act at least a little intimidated… Just to look human.

“Yes, me, my wife and my cousin, we can pay for out passage.”

“The question is can you carry your passage?”

“Of course, what ever is needed.”

“Right then, It’ll be 50 pounds for the journey and the food.”

I exhaled in surprise. It was no problem for us of course, but I did not expect it to be so expensive.

“150 pounds… that is an expensive journey.”

“Do you want to get there safely or not?”

“Yes… Yes of course,” I paused to take out the notes from my purse, making sure to show as if I am using up almost all of my money, even though I had at least as much more.

He took it with no expression on his bearded face. “Be here tomorrow at the first sign of dawn with as little belongings as you can.” He said no more before turning away to continue his work of shouting commands to pack up his boat.

“You sure this is the best house? Its… surprisingly well fortified.” Elliot hesitated as we approached the house I chose for our final hunt in Britain.

“Yes… It is the biggest one here. And the only one with enough people… we can deal with this stupid fence.” It wasn’t even electric. Me and Elliot have dealt with worse.

“Elliot, you and Jeff will clean the upstairs, I’ll deal with downstairs and then join you.” It was the dead of night, most of the house was sleeping, except for two women, probably servants. Upstairs I could smell an old man and another woman, with five children. It was a joint house, probably because one of the woman was a widower and needed the financial support. Or, by the fact they put up a fence, they thought it would bring them security.

Oh, the irony.

We didn’t need more planning, we run up the fence, no need to even touch it with our hands with our speed, and then we knocked down the door inside.

The women downstairs were indeed servants, and I killed them by a simple snap of the neck. This time I wanted to by thorough with the drying, so I hung them from the ceiling lights from their legs, cut the main artery and let the blood drip into the bottles. All this took me simply a minute.

The smell of the rich blood filled the house, and I couldn’t hold my hunger. I sunk my teeth into the neck of the younger of the two women. Taking a little of her blood for myself.

The thrill of her sad memories rushing over my made me loose track of time and blood, I only stopped when I noticed something in her memories. The master of this house…

“Hunter!” I shouted towards the stairs with mouth still full of blood, tearing down the women from the ceiling with one pull. We had no time for this. We needed to get out.

In front of me, wide-eyed and crying, stood the hunter from the servant’s memories. By the time I turned around from the stairs to see him, he had already fired.

The bullet was so accurate, It found the dead centre of my heart. I was frozen, just standing there, staring as the hunter shot again.

And again,

and again,

and again,

and again.

Six bullets pierced my chest, four were in my heart.

There was too much shock to feel the pain. I simply saw the ground moving towards me as a crumpled forward.

The last thing that I heard was her scream.

***

“John!” Elliot’s scream was so sharp that it cut the air. She completely ignored the shooter, running to catch her mate just before he hit the ground.

He was limp. He wasn’t moving, wasn’t breathing. 

She could feel it. Inside herself.

John was dead.

“No! No! John… John wake up! You can’t leave me here alone! You hear me? Y…You can’t… John no… John please…” She started crying through her words. This couldn’t be happening.

She shook him, at first slightly, but then when he still didn’t respond she did it harder. His head moved as if held by a string to his shoulders… so limp. the dark of his hair resembling the expression on his face. His blue eyes were wide open, staring forward in shock.

“JOHN!!!”

A hand caught her shoulder, trying to mover her away from her love. She growled, not seeing who it was beyond her tears, just screaming in tears. How dare someone try and move her?

“Elliot… We need to leave, now.” The voice was so far. Unrecognisable.

How dare he? How dare John leave her? They were mates, forever and ever. The pain was crippling.

How dare he?… How dare he… how dare… how?

***

“Hunter!” Jeffrinn stopped in his place, hearing the shout from below as if it was next to his ear. Both him and Elliot started moving at once, packing the blood that they managed to gather so far, closing bottles and putting it in bags.

Then they heard the shots. Six consecutive shots.

Jeffrinn hoped none of them caught his father.

Elliot run faster then him when the shots were heard, sprinting downstairs in less than a millisecond. By the time he managed to catch up he already heard her scream.

_Oh no_ , he thought, swallowing, preparing himself for what he was going to see.

He didn’t even get a chance to see it properly. John was on the floor, Elliot flipping him over and holding him… And the hunter. The Murderer, reloading his gun. Before Jeff could think he was on top of the man, ripping him to small, small shreds. Only when there was nothing left did he notice the pain in his chest, echoing from the wounds in his father’s… his master’s.

_Oh god… he’s really dead…_ Jeffrinn fell to his knees in the puddle of blood, staring at his father’s body for a long while.

He came back to when he remembered his promise. Get her out.

Jeff pushed himself to his feet, ran upstairs, changed his clothes, got Elliot clothes, pushed it all in a bag with the half-full bottles of blood. Tied all the bags together and put it on his back. Back downstairs he put his hand on Elliot’s shoulder. She growled, so he decided to be more firm, yanking her away from his master’s body without looking at it, wrapping her quickly in a blanket he took and picked her up. She tried to fight, but she was surprisingly weak against him. He was empty of thought, all his energy spent on the task.

He took the tickets to the boat journey, and ran to the harbour.


End file.
